The Green Bay Packers selected Southern California running back MarShawn Lloyd with the 88th pick. In an offseason that’s seen Aaron Jones leave Green Bay, Josh Jacobs arrive as a high-profile free agent and A.J. Dillon re-sign with the team, the Packers add another option in the backfield.
‘The Beast’ breakdown
Lloyd ranked No. 91 on Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
A one-year starter at USC, Lloyd was the top back on the depth chart in head coach Lincoln Riley’s RPO, spread (multiple-run) scheme. After three years at South Carolina, he transferred to the Trojans and had a productive 2023 season (led the team in rushing in 11 of 12 regular-season games), finishing as one of only five FBS running backs to average more than 7.0 yards per carry. With his vision and dynamic cutting skills, Lloyd is a shifty runner with the short-area explosion and lateral agility to leave defenders diving at air (20.87 percent of his carries resulted in a 10-plus-yard gain). He frequently springs free because of the creativity he shows with the ball in his hands, although he relies too much on his east-west options and needs to be more consistent finishing runs.
Overall, Lloyd doesn’t have the profile of a high-volume back, but he can spark an NFL offense with his mix of patience, burst and promise as a pass catcher. His tape gives me flashbacks of a thicker version of Duke Johnson when he was coming out of Miami.
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Nick Baumgardner’s grade: A-
A bowling ball with wheels, Lloyd is a 220-pounder with 4.46 speed and a lot of burst in and out of his cuts. He has fewer than 300 carries on his body and averaged better than seven yards per rush last season as a three-down back who can also catch it. This was a need for Green Bay and Lloyd will be ready to contribute immediately.
Packers take USC RB MarShawn Lloyd at pick 88
Josh Jacobs got a beast of a backup pic.twitter.com/QXjVkT0lKB
— Football Fanatics (@FFB_Fanatics) April 27, 2024
How he fits
The Packers value having two starting-caliber running backs. That’s what they had in Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, then hoped to have with Jones and AJ Dillon when they drafted Dillon in the second round in 2020. Dillon flashed potential as one, but truly amounted to a serviceable No. 2 running back. Lloyd, at 5 feet, 8.5 inches and 220 pounds, offers a stature 3.5 inches shorter and about 25 pounds lighter than Dillon and could compete for the backup to new feature back Josh Jacobs. According to Brugler, Lloyd “doesn’t have the profile of a high-volume back, but he can spark an NFL offense with his mix of patience, burst and promise as a pass catcher.”
Rookie impact
In five seasons with the Raiders, Jacobs ranked second in the NFL in carries and rushing yards since he entered the NFL in 2019. The Packers may want to take some of that load off him, which Lloyd could help with since Brugler says he doesn’t feature the profile of a high-volume back, anyway. The Packers also require that their running backs be adept as pass catchers, and Lloyd fits that bill, as well.
Depth-chart impact
Dillon signed a four-year qualifying offer with the Packers in free agency for barely more than the veteran minimum salary. He knows the system and is the incumbent No. 2 running back, but he may not be a lock to make the roster. Lloyd will at least compete with 2023 undrafted running back Emanuel Wilson for the third running back spot and perhaps even push Dillon for the backup job.
“With his vision and dynamic cutting skills, Lloyd is a shifty runner with the short-area explosion and lateral agility to leave defenders diving at air (20.87 percent of his carries resulted in a 10-plus-yard gain),” Brugler wrote.
That certainly sounds like a different skill set than Dillon’s.
They also could have picked …
Lloyd said he’s the best running back in the draft, a sentiment echoed by NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah. Brugler ranked him as the No. 5 running back in this class. He was the fourth one off the board. The Packers picked him over the running back likes of Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen, Tennessee’s Jaylen Wright, Kentucky’s Ray Davis and Louisville athletic freak and former Wisconsin running back Isaac Guerendo.
Fast evaluation
The Packers drafted Dillon in the second round with both Jones and Williams entering a contract year in 2020, so it’s no surprise they took Lloyd with Dillon returning since he, too, is entering a contract year in 2024. The only difference here is it wouldn’t be a surprise if the rookie unseats the veteran for the backup role and offers the Packers a different skill set than starter Jacobs.
(Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
