Packers Training Camp Preview: Running Back Battles, X-Factor, Game-Changer

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Last year’s big free-agent addition, running back Josh Jacobs, was the driving force behind the Green Bay Packers’ 11-6 record.

Jacobs is back for Year 2 and will lead the running backs onto the practice field for the first practice of training camp on July 23.

Coming and Going

The core from last year – starter Josh Jacobs and backups Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks – are back from last year. The Packers signed Amar Johnson and Jalen White as undrafted free agents. Perhaps the biggest addition isn’t an “addition” at all. That’s second-year player MarShawn Lloyd, a third-round pick last year who played in only one game as a rookie.

Biggest Battle: Backup Running Back

There are high hopes for MarShawn Lloyd. He was the fourth running back off the board last year. Upon the selection, NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah said the Packers drafted “the best” running back in the class.

As it turns out, Lloyd was one of the most disappointing players in the entire draft. Hip, ankle and hamstring injuries and appendicitis conspired to limit Lloyd to 10 snaps as a rookie. Of the 18 offensive players selected in the third round, none received less playing time.

Lloyd is talented but nothing will be handed to him. Nor should it.

Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks had solid seasons as last year’s backups. Wilson carried 103 times for 502 yards. Of the 46 backs who carried at least 100 times last season, he ranked seventh with 4.9 yards per carry, 14th with 3.0 yards after contact per carry and 20th with a broken tackle on 16.5 percent of his carries, according to Sports Info Solutions.

He rushed for four touchdowns and had zero fumbles, a sign of his reliability.

“He took a great jump from his rookie year to last year,” running backs coach Ben Sirmans said at the start of OTAs. “I think he only had one MA, one mental mistake, even though he didn’t play as much as a rookie but he played a lot this (past) year, to have only one mistake just speaks volumes to how he has grown.”

Because of Lloyd’s injuries, the Packers signed Brooks to the practice squad. He wound up playing in 15 games, rushing 36 times for 183 yards (5.1 average). Along with 19 carries with the Dolphins as a rookie in 2023, Brooks for his career has averaged 5.3 yards per carry, 3.8 yards after contact and broken a tackle on 21.8 percent of his carries. Last year, his 3.1 yards after contact matched Josh Jacobs’ ninth-ranked figure.

Game-Changer: Josh Jacobs

With the Raiders in 2022, Josh Jacobs led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards and boasted a 4.9-yard average. According to Sports Info Solutions, he rushed for 1,103 yards after contract, averaged 3.2 yards per carry after contact and forced a missed tackle on 23.2 percent of his carries.

In 2023, his production dropped off a cliff. He rushed for only 805 yards – less than half from the year prior – with a 3.5 average. He gained 2.3 yards after contact with a missed-tackle rate of 12.0 percent. That wasn’t just bad by Jacobs’ standards. It was bad by any standards. Of 49 backs with at least 100 carries, only four averaged fewer yards after contact. Even AJ Dillon was better.

The #Packers' first practice of training camp is set for July 23. Let's start getting ready. First up, it's our preview of the quarterbacks, including the big battle, game-changer, X-factor and more.https://t.co/RRVizr01x9
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 14, 2025

In 2024, the Packers signed Jacobs to a four-year, $48 million contract and dumped Aaron Jones. That turned out to be the right move, as Jacobs had a tremendous bounce-back season. Jacobs finished sixth with 1,329 rushing yards and tied for third with 15 rushing touchdowns. Once again, Jacobs did what all great backs do in gaining more yards than the blockers provide.

Of 46 backs with at least 100 carries, Jacobs according to SIS was third with 938 yards after contact, ninth with 3.1 yards after contact per carry and 12th with a broken-tackle rate of 19.9 percent.

PFF credited Jacobs with 1,039 yards after contact. Of the top 10 in rushing, his 78.2 percent of yards after contact ranked No. 1.

“I tell people all the time, if you take a good back and you give him space, that’s what separates a lot of people,” he said during OTAs. “Like, if I’m getting touched 3 yards [downfield] and I only have to worry about a linebacker or a safety, I’m going to win a lot more of those than I lose. So, I think that’s the difference. Obviously, Saquon (Barkley), a special player like him with an elite line, it’s like, it’s just going to make you look crazy [great], you know? So, obviously, we’re chasing that right now and we’re going to see how it plays out.”

Plus, Jacobs had zero drops. About the only knock is he fumbled four times.

X-Factor: MarShawn Lloyd

Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (32) runs with the ball against the Cleveland Browns in the preseason. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

MarShawn Lloyd is different. Josh Jacobs runs with power. Emanuel Wilson runs with power. Chris Brooks runs with power.

At 5-foot-8 3/4 and 220 pounds, Lloyd can run with power, too. With 4.46 speed in the 40, Lloyd can be the home-run threat the backfield doesn’t have. It’s cliché to use the term “thunder and lightning” but he’s got the skill-set to be the lightning to Jacobs’ thunder.

Lloyd finished his collegiate career at USC in 2023. Among running backs in the draft class with at least 100 carries, Lloyd was No. 2 in yards per carry and No. 1 in yards per reception.

“He’s different in a lot of ways from some of the other guys,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “He definitely has some great explosiveness and could be a really valuable weapon out of the backfield, I think. We saw that when he was healthy.”

Lloyd, obviously, has to stay healthy. Hip and hamstring injuries sidelined him before Week 1, and an ankle injury sustained in Week 2 sent him to injured reserve. When he was about to return, he was stricken by appendicitis. When he was gearing up to potentially return again, he was sidelined by another hamstring injury.

“He’s a guy that’s got to prove it,” LaFleur continued. “He’s got to be able to go out there, and it’s certainly not for a lack of effort. He spent the majority of his offseason here, and he’s been at a much better place, I would say right now. I’m excited for him but, ultimately, he’s got to prove it.”

Under the Radar: Chris Brooks

More than just a runner, Chris Brooks proved to be a sturdy pass protector. On the game-winning drive against Houston, Brooks destroyed Texans blitzers on three consecutive plays. The Packers don’t have a fullback on the roster but Brooks can play that role.

Jacobs is the powerhouse, Lloyd could be the sparkplug and Wilson is reliable. Brooks’ physicality could give him a role in a crowded backfield.

“He puts everything on his focus, everything on his desire to be great,” running backs coach Ben Sirmans said. “He’s got great willpower. So, you just have so much faith when he’s in the game and when he’s in practice because you know you’re going to get everything he has.”

Noteworthy Number

15: Josh Jacobs ran for 15 touchdowns, tying for third in the NFL. Of that number, 14 came during the final 10 games. That’s the most touchdowns over a 10-game span by a Packers play since Jim Taylor scored 16 times in 1962, when he won NFL MVP.

Betting Odds

At FanDuel Sportsbook, Josh Jacobs’ over/under is 1,050.5 rushing yards. He is -165 to rush for 1,000 yards and +220 to rush for 1,250 yards in Year 2 with the Packers.

Roster Projection

Josh Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson and MarShawn Lloyd on the 53.

Key to Success: Staying Healthy

The key to success will always be health. That seems especially true in the backfield. The offense revolves around Josh Jacobs’ power running. The offense might be up a creek without him. What the running game lacked last season was an explosive element. That could be MarShawn Lloyd. So long as he can get on the field and stay on the field.

If Jacobs can replicate his success – or perhaps even do better behind a potentially improved offensive line – and Lloyd can deliver some big runs, an elite running game could be even better.

“We’ve got new goals and things like that, but I feel like I left a lot on the table, you know?” Jacobs said. “I feel like I had a good year but I feel like I still left a lot on the table. So, for me, it’s just trying to come in and chase that No. 1 spot and raise a Super Bowl [trophy] at the end of the day. That’s the only thing that’s really on my mind.”