Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios for MarShawn Lloyd’s Rookie Season

Green Bay Packers rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd could be one of the most explosive players for the offense this season.

Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (32) runs through drills during rookie minicamp on Friday, May 3, 2024, at the Don Hutson Center in Green Bay, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK

Note: This is the fourth story of a series identifying the best- and worst-case scenarios for each of the Green Bay Packers’ 11 draft picks.

MarShawn Lloyd has a nose for explosive plays. The Green Bay Packers' third-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft rushed for 10-plus yards on 21 percent of his career carries. The burst he has when given a few feet of open space is remarkable.

He'll have the chance to explode on to the scene with the Packers in his rookie season, sharing the backfield with veterans Josh Jacobs and A.J. Dillon.

The opportunity to be a main component of the Packers' rushing attack seems to be Lloyd's to lose. Here's what the 23-year-old can prove/gain in his debut with Green Bay.

Best Case for MarShawn Lloyd

The thunder to Josh Jacobs' lightning.

How the Packers will split snaps between Lloyd and Dillon is unknown at this point. Probably even by the Packers themselves.

But even though Green Bay re-signed Dillon, the contract details would indicate the Packers are not too committed to the fifth-year runner. Lloyd could realistically grab the running back No. 2 spot ahead of Week 1.

While Jacobs will likely be the featured back taking most of the workload, Lloyd could carve out a role for himself as a change-of-pace, receiving back who can explode for a big run.

"The good thing about him is he’s a pretty explosive player, not just in the run game but also in the pass game," running backs coach Ben Sirmans said. "Then you kinda forget about how thick he is, so he’ll be physical enough to break tackles but then also fast enough to give you those long, home run plays."

If Dillon and/or Emanuel Wilson earn a spot on the 53-man roster, expect Green Bay to experiment with a few different combinations early on before settling into a consistent tandem. If Lloyd's explosive plays easily translate to the NFL, he'll have no problem becoming an exciting part of the rotation.

Worst Case for MarShawn Lloyd

Fumbles the ball and, therefore, opportunities.

Fumble issues can be a quick death sentence for NFL players. Ask Devante Mays or Amari Rodgers.

Lloyd had eight fumbles over 291 career attempts, coughing the ball up one every 36.4 carries. His 8 3/4-inch hands were the second-smallest of any running back invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

The Packers are aware of this and hope to re-instill the fundamentals of ball security.

"You always look at those things," general manager Brian Gutekunst said. "We felt they were correctable. It wasn't an overly big concern for us, but yeah, those are always things that jump out at you that maybe you spend extra time on."

According to Srimans, the issue is correctable.

"A lot of it," Srimans said, "is just being conscious of the ball when you have it and the way that we practice – not only the ball security drills but with the guys on the defense constantly going after the football – you’re always going to be conscious of it. It’s something that we can help to control with training."

No matter how explosive Lloyd is, if he can't hold on to the ball, his future hopes will be stuffed at the figurative line of scrimmage of his career. Especially with Dillon and the promising Wilson still on the team, the Packers will not hesitate to pull the plug on a turnover-prone Lloyd.

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