Green Bay Packers rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd recently received some good news for his training camp status after being sidelined with a hip injury.
On July 30, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said during a press conference that Lloyd is set to begin individual drills at practice.
“You'll see Lloyd out there today for (individual drills). Not in the team periods yet,” LaFleur said.
Lloyd suffered the injury to his hip after he reported to training camp early with the rest of the rookie class. So far, he's missed six training camp practices.
MarShawn Lloyd competing for playing time with Packers
MarShawn Lloyd will have a ladder to climb as he'll be competing for playing time in the backfield with several other running backs. The Packers signed veteran running back Josh Jacobs in free agency, who is slated to be the starter, and AJ Dillon, who re-signed with the team during the offseason.
The Packers under LaFleur have always been more of a running-back-by-committee team, so there will be ample opportunities for Lloyd to showcase his skills, but it all starts with him having a solid training camp.
Lloyd was drafted by the Packers in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Coming out of USC, Lloyd was known for his speed, and from what the Packers coaching staff has seen from him so far, they're excited about what he can do as a running back and potentially as a wide receiver. In his last season with USC, Lloyd rushed for 820 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 13 passes for 232 receiving yards.
Lloyd led all Power Five running backs in missed tackles forced per attempt and averaged the tenth most rushing yards after contact among Power Five running backs last season, according to GiveMeSport.
Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said during a recent press conference that he was excited to get Lloyd on the field.
“From what I saw from OTAs, I was very, very excited about his speed, his cutting ability, his ability to catch the ball from the backfield, and stuff like that,” Stenavich said.
During OTAs, Stenavich raved about what Lloyd can bring to the team and how his style differs from other running backs on the roster.
“He's got a skill set that's a little bit different than AJ's as far as his speed. He's not quite the bruiser that (Dillon) is obviously, but he's got a different type of skill set,” Stenavich said. “It'll be nice to get him the ball in space and just see what he can do because I think he's gonna add a good explosive element to the offense as well.”
The Packers running back group will look a little different to start the season after their top running back of the previous seasons, Aaron Jones, signed with the Minnesota Vikings in free agency.
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