Slowly but surely, Kaleb Johnson has been taking over the Green Bay Packers' backfield, albeit by default. The club's recent moves could give the second-year running back a legitimate chance to run away with the competition once and for all (pun intended).
The Packers signed veteran guards Kevin Zeitler and Laken Tomlinson to beef up their interior offensive line. Franchise quarterback Jordan Love hasn't had much time to throw, and rushing lanes have been few and far between. It's been a bit of a disaster, to say the least, though Johnson is arguably the winner of the two new additions.
Whether Tomlinson and/or Zeitler can acclimate quickly enough to suit up for Green Bay's upcoming clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers remains to be seen. Nevertheless, they'll likely be in the starting lineup soon, paving the way for Johnson to separate himself from the rest of the RB pack.
Laken Tomlinson and Kevin Zeitler pave the way for Kaleb Johnson to take over the Packers' backfield
MarShawn Lloyd logged just one more snap and zero touches after his fourth-quarter Week 2 fumble. Johnson saw three of the Packers' four offensive snaps in overtime and two rushes (no other RB recorded a carry). The pendulum swung even further in the latter's favor in the ensuing game while third-stringer Chris Brooks remained a pass-protection specialist.
Johnson was also the preferred option on first and second downs in the Packers' ugly primetime loss to the Atlanta Falcons, which is even more encouraging. Assuming the trend continues when Zeitler and/or Tomlinson play, the 2025 third-round pick's arrow may keep pointing upward.
Let's look at how the workload was distributed among Johnson, Lloyd and Brooks against the Falcons, production aside:
Player | Snaps | 1st/2nd Down Snaps | Carries | Routes Run | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kaleb Johnson | 23 | 19 | 4 | 14 | 2 |
MarShawn Lloyd | 15 | 14 | 4 | 11 | 3 |
Chris Brooks | 25 | 12 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
Green Bay has an uninspiring expected points added (EPA) of -0.013 and -0.103 on designed carries to the left and right guard, respectively, through three contests. For context, the league-average team EPA per designed rush so far this season is -0.105 (the higher the better).
Enter Tomlinson and Zeitler, experienced and accomplished blockers. Both have enjoyed solid decade-plus-long careers (and counting) and earned Pro Bowl honors, with the latter accomplishing the feat as recently as 2023. Together, they should make life easier for Johnson, Love and the Packers' entire operation.
Lloyd and Brooks figure to benefit, too, yet Johnson can establish himself as the primary tailback until/if Josh Jacobs' off-field matter is resolved. Green Bay desperately needs anyone to step up, however, and will take anything they can get from the position.
Note: Advanced metrics courtesy of Fantasy Points' data suite 2.0 ($).
Add us as a preferred source on Google