Josh Jacobs was arguably the Green Bay Packers’ best player last season and the heartbeat of the offense. He finished in the top six in the league in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, yards after contact, missed tackles forced, and runs of 10-plus yards. Whenever he got it going, the entire offense flowed more smoothly on the ground and through the air.
Jacobs turns 28 next February and still has a couple of high-level seasons left in him. Still, running back is one of the most physically demanding positions in football, and production often declines rapidly as players age. That means while the Packers will want to keep him as a focal point of the offense, they’ll soon need to start managing his workload carefully to keep him fresh and productive throughout the year.
With that in mind, it will be crucial for the organization to maintain an efficient running back room behind him. Depth will be key to keeping Jacobs fresh and preserving his impact over a full season. With less than a week until training camp begins, the Packers have Chris Brooks, Emanuel Wilson, MarShawn Lloyd, Jalen White, and Amar Johnson competing for roles behind him.
Lloyd, Brooks, and Wilson were all with the Packers last season. Injuries derailed Lloyd’s rookie year, limiting him to just six carries. Meanwhile, Wilson logged 103 rushing attempts, while Brooks had 36. White and Johnson joined Green Bay as undrafted free agents this offseason and should compete for a third-string spot, but they could also make valuable contributions on special teams.
Unless something unexpected happens, Lloyd should make the final roster. The Packers took him in the third round just a year ago, and they haven’t had a real chance to see what he can do yet. Given that investment, it’s unlikely they’ll move on from him so soon, especially since his ceiling is unknown.
Wilson and Brooks should have an advantage over the rookies. Both have at least one season of experience within Matt LaFleur’s system and are more acclimated to the offense. However, between the two, Brooks arguably holds a slight edge, mainly because of his contributions as a pass blocker.
Jalen White rushed for 923 yards in 2022, 899 yards in 2023, and 650 yards in 2024. Over five seasons at Georgia Southern, he totaled 2,881 rushing yards with a 5.2-yard average and scored 34 touchdowns. According to PFF, White forced 150 missed tackles on 549 career rushes, while also adding 55 receptions.
Jalen White went undrafted as a RB in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 7.73 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 480 out of 2106 RB from 1987 to 2025.
UDFA #Packershttps://t.co/pbMA3KWlPC pic.twitter.com/hkO5MT3Nkn
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 27, 2025
Johnson had an All-American final season at South Dakota State, rushing for 1,222 yards with a 6.3-yard average, adding 30 receptions for 233 yards, and scoring 15 total touchdowns. While he lacks size, his speed more than makes up for it, giving him the dynamism to be a fun and valuable element in LaFleur’s offense.
Amar Johnson went undrafted as a RB in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 8.80 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 253 out of 2106 RB from 1987 to 2025.
UDFA #Packershttps://t.co/vNQl7Hlpd2 pic.twitter.com/91PIpfdPwK
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 27, 2025
“I think I bring a lot of different capabilities of what I can do, like return, catch a ball out of the backfield, be a third-down back, be an early-down back,” Johnson told Sports Illustrated. “So, I just think from that standpoint, I have a lot of value to what I can bring to the Packers.”
The final outlook at running back should have Josh Jacobs and MarShawn Lloyd locked into roster spots. Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks are likely battling for the final spot, but fans shouldn’t overlook Jalen White and Amar Johnson. Still, the odds are against the rookies. Green Bay has kept four running backs on the final roster just once this decade, and that trend of carrying only three will likely continue this season.