Green Bay Packers running back Emanuel Wilson was a standout during the 2023 preseason after leading the team with 38 carries for 223 yards (5.9 YPC) and two touchdowns. Green Bay didn’t want to risk cutting the undrafted rookie out of Fort Valley State and have him sign with another team, so they kept him on the active roster. However, Wilson has yet to carve out much of a role during the regular season, and based on Matt LaFleur’s latest comments, things are unlikely to change anytime soon.
“I just think there’s a learning curve for every young player in this league, and you just got prove it through practice,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “He’s a talented guy, no question about it. But it’s just that trust that he can go out there no matter what the defense gives us that he’s going to be able to go out there and execute.
“Because it’s not just running the football, it’s protections, it’s all that. I think he’s progressing nicely, and we’ll give him more opportunities throughout practice in order for him to go out there and do it in a game.”
Wilson proved he could be an effective runner in the preseason, but in three appearances this season, he has totaled just five carries for 11 yards. The Packers have also been without Aaron Jones for missed three games due to a hamstring injury, but Wilson played only 14 snaps on offense in his absence.
While Jones was sidelined, the team utilized all three of Patrick Taylor’s practice squad elevations in lieu of giving Wilson more opportunities. The reasoning can be found in LaFleur’s remarks.
For one, Taylor has a better grip on the offense, having spent two years in the LaFleur’s system. He also holds up well in pass protection, which Green Bay frequently asks of their running backs. Taylor knows where to be and is not afraid to take on a blitzing linebacker. The team clearly doesn’t have the same trust in Wilson.
Taylor also has special teams value, something every RB3 should possess, except Wilson has yet to play a single special team snap all season. In four games, Taylor appeared on special teams 31 times.
However, Taylor is no longer an option for the Packers now that he has no more practice squad elevations and has since signed with the New England Patriots.
This would appear to be a good sign for Wilson, but Green Bay signed veteran running back James Robinson to their practice squad on Tuesday. Robinson rushed for over 1,000 yards as a rookie with the Jacksonville Jaguars and could be called up like Taylor was when Jones was injured.
Hopefully, that won’t be necessary, as Jones is feeling much better coming out of the bye week and appears to be trending in the right direction for Sunday’s matchup against the Denver Broncos.
It obviously doesn’t bode well for Wilson, who has yet to give the team any reason to play him over backup AJ Dillon. His best bet is to continue to improve in practice and contribute on special teams if he hopes to get on the field more in 2023.