Braking news RB Marshawn Lloyd could be ‘matchup nightmare’ out of Packers’ backfield
Marshawn Lloyd, the new Green Bay Packers running back, enters the NFL with minimal passing opportunities. Matt LaFleur, on the other hand, sees that as an important aspect of his contributions to the Packers club. “He can certainly be a weapon out of the backfield,” stated LaFleur. “I enjoy all the measurables. He’s a 220-pound back with a 4.4 speed and the ability to run routes out of the backfield. “I believe he may be a matchup nightmare for opposition defenses.” During his final two seasons at South Carolina and USC, Lloyd had only 43 targets. For some.context, at an average of just over 21 targets per season, that figure (21) in 2023 specifically would have ranked 99th out of all running backs.
Similarly to AJ Dillon when he was coming out of Boston College, he had very few in-game reps in the passing game, but as Brian Gutekunst mentioned following Day 2 of the NFL draft, having scouts at practices, attending the All-Star games, as well as watching at the combine give the Packers the confidence that Dillon, and now Lloyd, could impact the passing game.
“Very comfortable in the passing game,” said Lloyd after being drafted. “Definitely I feel like coach Lincoln Riley put me in really good positions to be able to, not having much routes but being very effective with it. I believe I had something like 17-plus yards a reception.
“I’m just being utilized in it as much as possible. I played with a team that had really good skills on the outside, a really good quarterback. So you know, it was just more of when things worked out, and I feel like it definitely worked out in the runs, the long run for sure.”
As Lloyd alluded to, while his opportunities in the passing game this past season at USC were somewhat limited, he certainly made the most of them, averaging a whopping 17.8 yards per catch on 13 receptions. For a wide receiver, 17.8 yards per catch is an impressive number and is almost unfathomable at running back.
