One of the certainties for the Green Bay Packers heading into the 2025 season is that the role of starting running back will go to Josh Jacobs.
Barring injury, Jacobs will be one of the main pieces of the puzzle for Matt LaFleur’s offense and he very well may be the most important player on the offensive side of the ball not named Jordan Love.
Outside of Jacobs, though, the Packers do have some question marks.
Emanuel Wilson was a solid backup in 2024, especially for a player who at one point was an undrafted free agent pick up. He rushed 103 times for 502 yards and four touchdowns last season for Green Bay — averaging 4.9 yards per carry.
The Packers heavily invested in running back in the 2024 NFL Draft in the person of MarShawn Lloyd out of USC, though. Lloyd spent all but one game last season injured, but he was selected with pick No. 88 in the 2024 NFL Draft and the Packers seemed to have big hopes for him before he was shut down due to several significant injuries.
Who will be Green Bay’s RB2 this season behind Jacobs? According to beat reporter Zach Kruse of “Packers Wire,” that’s one of biggest questions and position battles to watch when training camp begins on July 23.
“The No. 2 running back spot in Matt LaFleur’s offense matters. A lot. Wilson was incredibly efficient with his opportunities, averaging 4.9 yards per carry with a success rate of 59.9. But Lloyd was a third-round pick in 2024 and offers an enticing blend of explosiveness and dual-threat playmaking ability, so this is a true camp battle,” Kruse wrote. “Can Wilson take another developmental step and keep his role? Or will Lloyd prove too talented to keep off the field?”
Lloyd rushed for 820 yards and nine touchdowns for USC in 2023 and he averaged 7.1 yards per carry. He also caught 13 passes for 232 yards, which meant he averaged 17.8 yards per catch.
He may bring a more dynamic element to Green Bay’s offense and he profiles as the “lightning” to Jacobs’ “thunder,” but Wilson is as solid as they get as a backup and he’s now heading into his third season in LaFleur’s scheme.
Kruse is right. This will be an extremely intriguing battle in training camp, but whoever wins, the Packers will have to feel great about their running back depth heading into the season.
Barring injuries, it’s an extremely deep and talented group led by an All-Pro in Jacobs.
