The Green Bay Packers enter the 2023 NFL regular season with one of the better running back tandems in the NFL, with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon in the backfield. Jones and Dillon present challenges to opposing defenses in different ways.
Aaron Jones can catch passes out of the backfield and run fast, and AJ Dillon is purely a downhill runner and more of a goal-line running back for the Green Bay Packers. Jones rushed for 1,121 yards on 213 carries and two touchdowns. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry last season for the Packers. As for Dillon, he rushed for 770 yards on 186 carries and seven touchdowns. He also averaged 4.1 yards per carry for the Green Bay Packers.
So that’s great that they have two reliable running backs on the roster. The question is, who will be the third and fourth running backs on their depth chart?
Packers Running Backs Depth Chart (Training Camp Preview)
The current third running back on the roster is Patrick Taylor. He rushed for 31 yards on 10 carries last season and averaged 3.1 yards per carry. Taylor also caught one pass for 17 yards. He will most likely make the roster as the third running back for the Green Bay Packers.
One of the biggest battles heading into camp will be who is going to be the fourth running back. Three players will duel it out in training camp, Tyler Goodson and rookies Lew Nichols III and Emanuel Wilson.
Nichols III was a seventh-round selection (235th overall pick) by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft. He rushed for 616 yards on 176 carries and six touchdowns last season. He averaged 3.5 yards per carry. Lew Nichols III could see a lot of reps with the Green Bay Packers in training camp and in preseason games.
Emanuel Wilson is an undrafted rookie out of Fort Valley State, a Division II school. He rushed for 1,371 yards on 209 carries and 17 touchdowns in 2022. Wilson averaged 6.6 yards per carry and will also get a hard look in training camp.
The last and final spot for the running back position for the Green Bay Packers will be a battle and a tough decision to make for general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur.
My projection for the running backs that will make the Green Bay Packers roster is Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon, Patrick Taylor, and rookie Lew Nichols III.
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