Tag: Marshawn Lloyd

USC’s MarShawn Lloyd suffers injury in first NFL preseason game

MarShawn Lloyd will need time to fully heal his hamstring with the Packers.

The Green Bay Packers selected MarShawn Lloyd in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft out of USC. Lloyd was honorable-mention All-Pac-12 Conference in 2023. He was seventh in the FBS with 7.1 yards per carry. He ran the ball 116 times for 820 yards and nine scores. He played in 11 games with six starts.

According to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writer Tom Silverstein, Lloyd’s start to his career began with a slight injury. MarShawn Lloyd told a group of reporters after the Packers’ preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns that he’s been “pushing through a hamstring issue” during training camp.

Lloyd carried once for eight yards and caught one pass for one yard before feeling enough pain that he had to leave the Packers’ game on Saturday against the Cleveland Browns.

“I think he had two touches… and then he goes out. That is disappointing,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “He’s going to have to get healthy because we’ve seen what he’s capable of doing in practice but you’d just like to see it in a real game.”

Lloyd is currently the third running back on the Packers’ depth chart, behind Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillion and in front of Emanuel Wilson, Jarveon Howard and Ellis Merriweather.

There is plenty to be excited about with Lloyd; just do not expect to see much of him in action at the start of the NFL regular season.

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Packers rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd departs preseason opener with hamstring injury

Packers rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason opener against the Browns.

The NFL debut of Green Bay Packers rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd is likely over due to injury. The Packers announced Lloyd, a third-round pick out of USC, has a hamstring injury.

Lloyd carried once for eight yards and caught one pass for one yard before suffering the injury on Saturday against the Cleveland Browns.

“I think he had two touches…and then he goes out. That is disappointing,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “He’s going to have to get healthy because we’ve seen what he’s capable of doing in practice but you’d just like to see it in a real game.”

This is the rookie’s second injury of the summer. Lloyd, the 88th overall pick in 2024, missed the start of training camp after injuring his hip during a rookie workout after reporting to Green Bay for camp.

Lloyd is competing with several running backs, including A.J. Dillon and Emanuel Wilson, for snaps behind starter Josh Jacobs. Dillon carried four times for only two yards and was stopped short of the sticks on fourth down. Wilson, however, leads the team in rushing and has a touchdown run through the first three quarters.

Dillon, now in Year 5, returned on a one-year deal. Last summer, Wilson led the NFL in preseason rushing yards.

Lloyd led South Carolina in rushing in 2022 and USC in rushing in 2023. He was the fourth running back selected in the 2024 draft.

6 recent draft picks to watch during Packers preseason opener

From Javon Bullard to Sean Rhyan, here are six recent draft picks to watch when the Packers open the preseason against the Browns on Saturday.

Football is sort of back. Even if it’s only preseason football, it’s always exciting when the calendar flips to August. The Green Bay Packers open their preseason slate on Saturday against the Cleveland Browns.

Here are six players to keep tabs on throughout the game:

Javon Bullard, DB

Bullard is expected to start alongside Xavier McKinney in the backend of Green Bay’s secondary. The versatile rookie defensive back has put together an impressive training camp and made several plays on the ball during Green Bay’s family night. 

It seems like every practice Bullard has done something impressive, showcasing why Brian Gutekunst & Co. were high on the versatile defensive back. The former Georgia Bulldog will be watched closely when he takes the field in Cleveland on Saturday.

Evan Williams, DB

Williams is pushing Bullard for reps alongside McKinney. During his collegiate career, Williams was always around the action, which has continued to be the case thus far throughout training camp. The fourth-round pick has made his fair share of plays on the practice field and with his playmaking ability he could force Jeff Hafley to get him on the field more often than not. 

Marshawn Lloyd, RB

Instant offense. The former track athlete is a spark plug and finished last season at USC with 24 runs of 10-plus yards and averaged over seven yards per carry. Both Brian Gutekunst and Adam Stenavich have raved about his speed and burst. It will be interesting to see how much work the rookie running back gets on Saturday, but he may not need many touches to make an impact.

Lukas Van Ness, DE

The Van Ness breakout season will start on Saturday. Last year’s 13th overall pick closed out his rookie season with a bang. During the final eight games, Van Ness recorded four sacks and 13 pressures. If Van Ness can continue to build off that success entering year two, the Packers could have the makings of a formidable pass rush. 

Ty’Ron Hopper, LB

Hopper popped up on the injury report (ankle) during Thursday’s practice, so he may not suit up on Saturday. If he is cleared to play, the third-round rookie could be in line for a fair share of snaps. Hopper has showcased his fluidity and speed to match up in coverage and the sideline-to-sideline range to develop into an impact player for Jeff Hafley’s defense. 

Sean Rhyan, OL

With Jordan Morgan sidelined with a shoulder injury, Rhyan has a shot to showcase why he should still be considered for the starting right guard spot. Given his background of playing offensive tackle (at UCLA) and Green Bay’s clear lack of depth behind Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom, it would not be surprising to see the former Bruin get some reps outside against the Browns.

Packers rookie RB Marshawn Lloyd makes highly anticipated training camp debut

Packers rookie MarShawn Lloyd made his training camp debut on Tuesday after missing six practices with a hip strain.

No one could take away the smile on running back Marshawn Lloyd’s face after making his first training camp debut on Tuesday. The Green Bay Packers’ third-round selection returned to the field but only did individual drills. Still, being out there in a limited fashion for his first padded practice since college was enough for Lloyd.

“Once you put on that helmet and shoulder pads, it’s a whole different story,” he said. “It’s just super exciting to be out there…like a kid in a candy store.”

Lloyd missed the first six training camp practices after suffering a hip injury during a workout after all the rookies reported to camp. Fortunately, it was just a minor hip strain.

“I just tried to make a cut and strained my hip flexor a little bit, but it’s all good now,” said Lloyd.

The Packers will ease their rookie ball carrier back into the mix to ensure he is ready for the grueling season ahead. Although, the hope is that he will play a significant role during the regular season.

Expectations are high surrounding Lloyd after he proclaimed himself the “best running back in the draft” upon being selected by Green Bay. In two seasons at South Carolina and one at USC, he rushed for 1,621 yards on 291 carries (5.6 avg.) for 19 touchdowns. Lloyd also showcased his ability as a pass catcher, catching 35 passes for 452 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

Head coach Matt LaFleur was ecstatic when the Packers drafted Lloyd because of the possibilities he could bring to the offense.

“He definitely can be a weapon out of the backfield,” LaFleur said back in May. “I love all the measurables. He’s a 220-pound back that runs 4.4 and can run routes out of the backfield. I think he could be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.”

Despite his upside, nothing will be handed to Lloyd as he is competing to be the primary backup behind Josh Jacobs.

Packers rookies MarShawn Lloyd, Kitan Oladapo to make training camp debuts on Tuesday

Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed running back MarShawn Lloyd and safety Kitan Oladapo would each be making their training camp debuts on Tuesday.

The Green Bay Packers will get two rookie draft picks back from injury during Tuesday’s practice, the seventh of training camp. Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed running back MarShawn Lloyd and safety Kitan Oladapo would each be making their training camp debuts on Tuesday.

“You’ll see Lloyd out there today for (individual drills). Not in the team periods yet. Him and KT (Oladapo),” LaFleur said.

Lloyd suffered a hip injury after reporting early to training camp with the rookie class. Oladapo had a toe injury — suffered during the NFL Scouting Combine — that required surgery. Practicing on Tuesday means Oladapo will be coming off the non-football injury list.

Lloyd, a third-round pick out of USC, will return to compete for snaps behind starter Josh Jacobs at running back. Oladapo, a fifth-round pick out of Oregon State, will get a chance to start competing with rookies Javon Bullard and Evan Williams — two early standouts at training camp — for reps at safety.

Both Lloyd and Oladapo missed six training camp practices, including a pair of padded practices. Oladapo is further behind given he missed the entire offseason workout program.

The two rookies will be eased back into action. The Packers generally have players work individual drills before being worked back into live 11-on-11 work.

Which Green Bay Packers backup RB should you target?

Josh Jacobs is the clear RB1, but who is his best handcuff target?

With the youngest offense in the NFL last year and a first-year starting quarterback in Jordan Love, the Green Bay Packers endured some growing pains. They rounded into form late, however, winning eight of their final 12, including a rout of the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs. While most of that group returns intact, the team made changes in the backfield.

Gone is running back Aaron Jones (Minnesota Vikings), who was released after refusing a pay cut. For as good as Jones has been, durability was an issue. The team hopes free-agent signee RB Josh Jacobs will be sturdier in the RB1 role. Although he had mediocre production a season ago, he’s just one year removed from a 2,053-yard, 12-touchdown overall performance that earned him first-team All-Pro honors.

Even with the switch from Jones to the younger Jacobs, don’t expect head coach Matt LaFleur to alter his approach when it comes to utilizing two backs. In five seasons on the job, MLF has given his lead back an average of 203 carries to 145 for RB2 — a 58/42 split in terms of percentage. Perhaps that skews a little heavier to Jacobs’ side, but there should still be plenty of work for whoever emerges as the No. 2 option.

Packers NFL Draft grades: MarShawn Lloyd, RB, USC

Packers NFL Draft grade for selecting USC RB MarShawn Lloyd in the third round

The Green Bay Packers are set up for almost a complete reload at the running back position with the huge free agent signing of Pro Bowler Josh Jacobs and now the addition of USC running back MarShawn Lloyd late into the third round.

Lloyd does not project as an immediate starter and will likely be behind both Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillon to open the season. Lloyd has a good mix of talents that resemble a mix of Dillon and the departed Aaron Jones and could be a potential role player if either of the two starting backs misses any time.

With great burst, power, low center of gravity, and pass-catching ability, Lloyd likely fell this far, given the depth of running back in this class and the devaluation of the position. Lloyd has all the traits of an every down back in the league and will likely get the shot to be one eventually.

Grade: A

Packers are getting to know USC’s MarShawn Lloyd

The Packers expect to use MarShawn Lloyd a lot.

Meet new Green Bay Packers running back and former USC Trojan MarShawn Lloyd as he describes his game as well as his off-the-field personality.

Packers Wire has more on the new running back in Green Bay:

“The last time the Packers used an early-round pick on a running back was when they took AJ Dillon in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. Although circumstances were a bit different with the Packers already having Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams on the roster, Dillon had only 55 rushing attempts as a rookie.

“However, it doesn’t sound like that is the approach that the Packers are going to take with Lloyd:

“’I would like to get him out there as much as possible,’ said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich. ‘He’s got a skill set that’s a little bit different than AJ’s as far as his speed. He’s not quite the bruiser that (Dillon) is obviously, but he’s got a different type of skill set. So it’ll be nice to get him the ball in space and just see what he can do. I think he’s gonna add a good explosive element to the offense, for sure.’”

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Contract details for Packers third-round pick RB Marshawn Lloyd

The Packers announced on Tuesday that they signed third-round running back Marshawn Lloyd, and Over the Cap has the contract details.

The Green Bay Packers have officially signed third-round pick Marshawn Lloyd. Over the Cap now has the details on what Lloyd’s rookie deal will look like.

Lloyd earned a standard four-year rookie contract that totals $5.688 million with a signing bonus of $957,104.

Lloyd will receive the full signing bonus up front, but from a salary cap perspective, that $957,104 can be pro-rated over the life of the contract. Or, in short, the cap hit in 2024 from that bonus is just $239,276.

That pro-rated signing bonus amount plus a base salary of $795,000 makes up Lloyd’s cap hit for this season, which totals $1.034 million.

Moving forward, beyond 2024, a $239,276 cap hit from the pro-rated signing bonus will be on the Packers’ books all four years of the contract, along with Lloyd’s base salary increasing each year as well.

In 2025, Lloyd’s base salary will be $1.053 million. In 2026 it increases to $1.312 million, and then $1.570 million in 2027.

Here is a look at what Lloyd’s cap hit will be each season:

2024: $1.034 million
2025: $1.292 million
2026: $1.551 million
2027: $1.809 million

At 5-9 – 220 pounds, Lloyd has a similar build to Josh Jacobs, but the both Matt LaFleur and Adam Stenavich have mentioned that he brings a different element to the Packers’ backfield with his explosiveness.

Last season with USC, Lloyd averaged an impressive 7.1 yards per rush at 17.8 yards per catch. Although his experience as a pass-catcher is somewhat limited, LaFleur likes what Lloyd brings to the team from a skill-set standpoint that will allow him to impact that part of the game.

Immediately, Lloyd figures to be a big part of the Packers’ offense behind Jacobs.

“I would like to get him out there as much as possible,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich. “He’s got a skill set that’s a little bit different than AJ’s as far as his speed. He’s not quite the bruiser that (Dillon) is obviously, but he’s got a different type of skill set. So it’ll be nice to get him the ball in space and just see what he can do. I think he’s gonna add a good explosive element to the offense, for sure.”

MarShawn Lloyd makes strong first impression on Green Bay Packers

The Packers were thoroughly impressed with MarShawn Lloyd’s straight-line speed.

The Green Bay Packers made some big changes with their running back room this offseason, letting Aaron Jones walk to the Minnesota Vikings in free agency, then bringing in Josh Jacobs on a four-year, $48 million deal and also taking MarShawn Lloyd from USC in the third round of the NFL draft.

Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich was impressed with the speed displayed by third-round pick and former Trojan MarShawn Lloyd during the team’s two-day rookie minicamp this past weekend.

Packers Wire has more on this and related developments with Lloyd in Green Bay:

“I liked his speed. I liked his speed a lot. He had some good runs where you saw his burst. He’s got good vision. I’m really excited about that out of the backfield,” Stenavich said Monday.

While the Packers signed veteran Josh Jacobs and brought back A.J. Dillon, Stenavich said he wants Lloyd and his explosiveness on the field right away as a rookie.

“I would like to get him out there as much as possible,” Stenavich said. “He’s got a skill set that’s different than A.J. as far as his speed. He’s not quite the bruiser, but he’s got a different skill set. It’ll be nice to get him the ball in space and see what he can do. I think he’ll add a good explosive element to the offense.”

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