Packers OC hints at Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd’s roles in crowded RB room

The Green Bay Packers made big changes to their running back team this offseason, letting Aaron Jones join the Minnesota Vikings in free agency, then bringing in Josh Jacobs on a four-year, $48 million contract and also drafting MarShawn Lloyd from USC in the third round. AJ Dillon is also still on the Packers’ roster, but Jacobs appears to be back given the contract, and offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich has spoken about the plan for this season.

“Josh is a phenomenal running back,” Adam Stenavich said via Eric Edholm of NFL.com. “He was an All-Pro multiple times. He’s one of those guys that’s good in all situations, good out of the backfield as a receiver, great runner. He’s a good (pass) protector. So he’s one of those guys that you can really have in the game all the time and not have to worry about anything with him. So it’s nice.

Given that Josh Jacobs is expected to be the Packers’ primary guard this season, it’s interesting that the team used a third-round pick on MarShawn Lloyd, but Stenavich also talked about what he sees in him. He also indicated that he would like to put him on the field, as he presents a bit of a different look than AJ Dillon.

“I liked his speed. I really liked his speed,” Stenavich said, via Edholm. “He had some good runs in the OTAs where we saw his breakout. He’s got good vision, so I’m really excited about that out of the backfield. … I’d like (Lloyd) to be out there as much as possible. He has a bit of a different skill set than AJ when it comes to his speed. He’s obviously not as deadly as (Dillon), but he has a different type of skill set. So it’ll be good to get him the ball in space and see what he can do because I think he’s going to add a good explosive element to the offense as well.

It will be interesting to see the breakdown of carries for the Packers next season, as they try to build on their surprising trip to the divisional round last season.

What will the Packers run game look like in 2024?

Given the changes to the backroom between now and 2024, there’s undoubtedly some optimism for the running game as a whole for the Packers, but Stenavich said they need to work to ensure to achieve what they envision.

“We know how good we can be, but we have to understand that no one is going to give us anything in this league,” Stenavich said via Edholm. “Everything must be won. Just (the intentionality) of going out there every day and working hard, working on your craft and being the best you can be, that’s what’s going to get us back to the playoffs and get us as far as we can.

The Packers are hoping to build a contender with Jordan Love under center, and the running game will be a key part of that.