Entering OTAs, What’s Packers’ Backup Plan at Running Back?

Josh Jacobs is one of the best and toughest running backs in the NFL. Even Jacobs can’t do it alone, though.

Emanuel Wislon, who signed with Seattle in free agency, served as the Green Bay Packers’ primary backup the last two seasons. With a combined 114 rushes and receptions in 2024 and 140 in 2025, Wilson had a combined 254 touches the last two seasons. That ranks 41st among running backs over that span and is a not-inconsequential number the Packers must replace.

The search for the new No. 2 back will begin next week at organized team activities.

Packers Running Back Depth Chart: Starter

Josh Jacobs: Jacobs has been everything the Packers hoped he’d be when they signed him and released popular Aaron Jones in 2024. A do-it-all workhorse, Jacobs over the past two seasons ranks seventh in touches, eighth in rushing yards, ninth in total yards and fifth in total touchdowns.

If you want a clutch touchdown, Jacobs is your guy.

Most go-ahead rush TD in the 4th quarter/OT in NFL history, including playoffs…

1. Josh Jacobs – 13 👀
2. Emmitt Smith – 11
3. LaDainian Tomlinson - 10
3. Marcus Allen – 10
5. Saquon Barkley – 9
6. Derrick Henry - 8
6. Jim Taylor - 8
6. Larry Johnson - 8
6. Michael Turner – 8
— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) May 13, 2026

Packers Running Back Depth Chart: Backups

Chris Brooks: Brooks in three seasons has carried the ball 82 times for 395 yards (4.8 average) and one touchdown and caught 24 passes for 160 yards. Mostly, he’s made his mark in Green Bay by being a rugged and alert blitz protector.

MarShawn Lloyd: The Packers in 2024 signed Jacobs and drafted Lloyd in the third round. They were supposed to be a premier tandem. Jacobs has held up his end of the bargain. Lloyd, obviously, has not. One ailment after another has kept him on the sideline. Since playing 10 snaps against the Colts in Week 2 in 2024, he has not played in a game.

Pierre Strong: Strong was a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in 2022. In three seasons with the Patriots (2022) and Browns (2023 and 2024), he carried 99 times for 499 yards (5.0 average) and two touchdowns and caught 26 passes for 193 yards (7.4 average). He spent almost all of last season on Green Bay’s practice squad and did not play in a game.

Damien Martinez: Martinez was a seventh-round pick by the Seahawks in 2025. He spent the first couple weeks of his rookie season on Seattle’s practice squad and the last couple weeks on Green Bay’s practice squad and did not play in a game.

Jaden Nixon: Nixon was an undrafted free agent in this year’s draft. As he told Packers On SI: “They called my agent right after and told him they wanted me. Other teams were talking about camp, but Green Bay made it clear they really wanted me and believed they could use me in a lot of different ways.”

What We Know

Josh Jacobs will start and Chris Brooks will play a lot on third down.

Green Bay Packers running back Chris Brooks (30) bulls his way forward against the Minnesota Vikings. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jacobs finished 20th among running backs with 929 rushing yards and was 16th with 717 rushing yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus. Among 49 running backs with at least 100 rushing attempts, he was 35th with 3.97 yards per carry and 22nd with 3.06 yards after contact per carry.

In other words, Jacobs had to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Was his overall downturn in production last season a case of age and wear and tear catching up to Jacobs? He went from 4.4 yards per carry to 4.0, Emanuel Wilson went from 4.9 to 4.0 and Chris Brooks went from 5.1 to 3.9. So, it wasn’t just Jacobs who was less successful last season. Actually, Jacobs’ downturn was less severe.

“He takes care of his body, he understands his body and what he needs to do,” running backs coach Ben Sirmans said recently of the 28-year-old, eighth-year pro. “He’s still first in line, he’s still going through the drills full speed, making explosive cuts, so he still looks the same. He’s going to have the same ability that he did the first year, where he was obviously a Pro Bowl-caliber player. That’s my expectations of him.”

Brooks was the dirty-work guy last year. According to PFF, he was used more as a run blocker (35 snaps) and pass protector (33 snaps) than as a runner (26 carries).

What We Don’t Know

Who will take over as the No. 1 back if Jacobs is sidelined, as was the case last season, or simply needs a breather?

Brooks, the only other player on the roster who played in an NFL game last season, figures to start OTAs in that role.

He was a yards-after-contact player in college and has shown glimpses of being that player in the NFL, as well. It’s been limited sample sizes, obviously, but Brooks averaged 5.63 yards after contact as a rookie, 3.31 yards after contact in 2024 and 3.15 yards after contact in 2025, when 85 of his 106 rushing yards came after he was touched by a defender.

The Packers, of course, would love Lloyd to grab that role and maintain it for 17 games – or at least close to 17 games. He’s spent infinitely more time at practice riding a stationary bike than going through drills. The fourth running back selected in 2024 is 18th with 15 rushing yards and 19th with 18 total yards. Taken one round later by the Buccaneers, Bucky Irving has 1,710 rushing yards and 2,379 total yards.

“Not only does he give you something alongside with Josh, he can do things that the other guys can’t in terms of his speed and quickness,” Sirmans said. “And I don’t want to say they can’t, but not at the level that he can do it because he’s the fastest and the quickest guy that we have.

“So, if he’s healthy – and, again, that’s what we’re (waiting) for him to be – it does make our job easier from having another guy back there that’s going to add some explosiveness to the offense.”

Strong has speed and Martinez has power – Martinez coined himself Beast Mode 2.0 after he was drafted by Seattle – but neither played in a game last season.

If none of the backup candidates emerge during training camp and the preseason, this could be the position group in which general manager Brian Gutekunst explores the trade market, which could include some tantalizing names.

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