With training camp set to get underway next week, the Green Bay Packers are going to be hard at work evaluating players on the roster. There will be some difficult decisions to make as the team cannot keep everyone.
One of the positions that people will be keeping an eye on is at running back. The top of the depth chart is locked in as Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon are going to be shouldering the load in the backfield. However, the No. 3 role behind them is one that is certainly up for grabs.
Last season there were instances when the Packers went into game days with no third option at the running back position. That is something that should change this offseason based on how things shake out with the rest of the roster. But, at the very least, there should be a third running back that makes the team out of the gate.
Who will that player be? In the opinion of Justis Mosqueda of Acme Packing Company on SB Nation, it will be Lew Nichols that wins the RB3 competition in training camp.
“At the moment, the expectation is that rookie running back Lew Nichols, a seventh-round draft pick, should be able to push Taylor for the third running back job. Nichols is a big back (listed at 5’10” and 220 pounds) who has experience as an inside runner, pass protector and pass catcher. The question is if Nichols’ 4.61-second 40-yard dash speed is going to be enough to cut it at the professional level.”
The Taylor that Mosqueda mentions is Patrick Taylor, who appeared in 14 games last season. He was used mostly as a special teams player, playing only 33 snaps on offense all season. Taylor’s role as the No. 3 running back was a minimal one, as Kylin Hill was supposed to be in that spot. But, disciplinary action seemed to be used once Hill was activated off the physically unable to perform list.
Taylor will once again push for that job, but in the early going, the Central Michigan product selected late in this year’s draft is the leader in the early going. It is somewhat surprising to see Tyler Goodson off this list as his performance is one people were keeping an eye on as a potential Dillon replacement should the Packers look to trade him in the final season of his rookie contract.
How the backfield settles in behind Jones and Dillon is something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. The running game is something the Packers are expected to lean on heavily and having a capable third back behind those two will help keep them fresh and healthy throughout the season.