All of the roster and Draft talk around the Green Bay Packers in the last few weeks has seemed to circle around a couple of positions. Nose tackle is still a big need, and the team could definitely use help at cornerback. The wide receiver position remains fascinating as well, as the team might still be in the market to trade away a player on an expiring contract.
But one spot that has slipped under the radar a bit is running back. The Packers have their starter in Josh Jacobs and a capable #3/third-down back in Chris Brooks, but there’s nobody else proven on the roster at this point. Will the Packers really want to go into 2026 counting on one of MarShawn Lloyd or Damien Martinez to emerge as a backup option?
That seems highly unlikely. Enter the 2026 NFL Draft class, which admittedly has a bit of a weird group of running backs. Still, there are some interesting possibilities in this class, though you’re likely to get a somewhat limited player if you can’t draft the top prospect in Jeremiyah Love. Every other prospect has some type of flaw, but when you’re looking for a backup to fille a specific role, that’s probably something you can work around, at least in year one.
Who knows whether Jacobs will return for the final year of his contract in 2027. The Packers probably do need to look ahead to next year a bit, which makes drafting a running back that much more plausible later this month. So let’s look at a few candidates who might make sense for the Packers to acquire to add competition to that room.