The Green Bay Packers are just less than a week away from making their debut in the 2024 NFL season. Speaking of debuts, running back Josh Jacobs’ first game in a Packers uniform is highly anticipated, and he will be put to the test right away in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, who finished the 2023 campaign 11th in the league with 104.3 rushing yards allowed per game.
While Jacobs is the clear-cut top option on the ground for the Packers, Seth Walder of ESPN offers a bold prediction about another running back overtaking the former Alabama Crimson Tide star as Green Bay’s RB1 before the end of the year.
Bold prediction for 2024: MarShawn Lloyd will take over the No. 1 running back role by the end of the season. Free agent signee Josh Jacobs was very effective in 2022 but recorded negative rush yards over expectation (per NFL Next Gen Stats) in 2020, 2021 and 2023. Last season, his RYOE total was minus-86. I’m willing to bet that 2022 was Jacobs’ outlier and that the Packers will prefer Lloyd as their featured back by December. — Walder
Packers’ Lloyd is an intriguing asset to watch out for
Lloyd suffered a hamstring injury during a preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, but he has since returned to practice and made the 53-man roster of Green Bay. While there is no certainty at the moment that he will be available to play against the Eagles, Lloyd appears to be someone to watch out for in the backfield even with Jacobs around.
Lloyd was taken in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft by the Packers after he spent a season with the USC Trojans. During his lone campaign at USC, Lloyd rushed for 820 yards and nine touchdowns on 116 carries.
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