It’s a quiet period in the NFL. Still, even in this liminal space between minicamp and training camp, there’s a clock ticking in every front office. There’s still time now, but it’s dwindling every day until, before you know it, teams will have to start paring down their rosters to the final 53.
For the Green Bay Packers, rolling with three running backs instead of four will free up valuable space elsewhere.
The rub is that the Packers have four NFL-quality running backs: Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Emanuel Wilson, and Chris Brooks. Each does things a little differently and thrives in different roles, but there’s no doubting the quality of the group.
Under other circumstances, keeping four would be reasonable. However, with depth concerns at cornerback and defensive end, plus an influx of productive wide receivers, the numbers game would indicate that three running backs is the right number for this roster.
Jaire Alexander‘s exit has left Green Bay’s cornerback room with a doable trio of Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, and Carrington Valentine. After that, there’s a bunch of unknowns.
One injury to any of the top three could throw the secondary for a loop. Sheer quantity in the cornerback room will be important for the Packers.
At wide receiver, the Packers have eight guys who would make most 53-man rosters in the league. That number balloons to nine when you include Christian Watson, who’s injured. The way things are shaping up, Green Bay must start the year with three running backs and adjust if need be as the season progresses.
Matt LaFleur historically likes splitting duties at running back, more or less. We saw it with Aaron Jones as the No. 1 and Jamaal Williams as the No. 1, followed by A.J. Dillon for a few years when Williams left.
However, Josh Jacobs is Green Bay’s bell cow. He was one of six running backs with 300 or more carries in 2025. Partially due to injuries, LaFleur pivoted from his normal preferred strategy, and Jacobs was chewing up touches left and right on a weekly basis.
Jacobs had 25 or more carries in four games last year alone. Jones had one such game in his seven years with the Packers before Jacobs took over. And giving Jacobs a massive workload paid off, soGreen Bay will likely continue to give him a clear majority of the snaps at RB.
After that, one would imagine the Packers would like to see what they have in Lloyd. A third-round pick a year ago, Lloyd hardly saw the field his first year, spending most of the season on injured reserve. Right when he was ready to come back in the middle of November, appendicitis put him back on the shelf for good.
LaFleur has raved about what he’s seen from Lloyd this offseason.
He’s different in a lot of ways than some of the other guys. He definitely has some great explosiveness. Could be a real valuable weapon out of the backfield I think. We saw that when he was healthy. He’s a guy that’s got to prove it.
In an ideal world, the Packers would devise a plan that sees Jacobs taking most of the touches at running back and Lloyd offering a change-of-pace option with home-run capabilities.
After that, there’s Wilson and Brooks.
If the Packers prioritize versatility, Brooks is the better pass blocker who can play special teams. Wilson is the guy if Green Bay wants a true running back who is better at carrying the rock in bulk if Jacobs goes down. Cutting one wouldn’t be easy, but every roster has to give a little at one position or another to account for weaknesses elsewhere.
It makes even more sense considering that Green Bay used a third-round pick on Savion Williams. Williams is listed as a wide receiver but had almost as many carries (51) as he did receptions (60) last year at TCU. Williams could serve as an emergency option if the Packers were to get into a pinch.
Jacobs is the bell cow. Lloyd is, in LaFleur’s words, the “matchup nightmare.” Williams should already be on the roster as a WR, but doubles as RB insurance. Plus, giving a healthy Jacobs a full workload has the trickle-down effect of somewhat minimizing the importance of backup running backs.
Still, that doesn’t mean those backup RBs aren’t important. Wilson is comfortable with double-digit carries, which could be a tremendous asset, and Brooks is a better pass blocker who can also make life easier for Rich, which is great.
However, the numbers game shows no mercy. There are more valid reasons to keep five cornerbacks instead of four, or six defensive ends instead of five, or even seven wide receivers instead of six, than there are to keep four running backs instead of three.
Given their talent, it wouldn’t be entirely shocking if Green Bay kept four running backs. Still, keeping three makes a lot more sense.