To reach their ambitious goals, the Green Bay Packers will need their Jordan Loves, Tucker Krafts, Christian Watsons, and (when healthy) Micah Parsons to deliver.
It will also require breakout performances where they're least expected. Enter MarShawn Lloyd.
Cautious optimism best describes Lloyd's summer. Injuries have limited him to just one game in two seasons, so it's understandable to focus on stacking small victories. But that's exactly what Lloyd has done, showing up to the offseason program healthy. He now has a chance to finally shake the injury-prone tag for good. As for his potential? Through the roof.
MarShawn Lloyd can become the surprise breakout star the Packers need
Due to Lloyd's absence over the past two seasons, nobody is talking about him. Packers fans remain hopeful, but the rest of the league has forgotten. They're not ready for what he can do if healthy.
The issue for Lloyd has never been talent or potential. He's just not been on the field enough to display it. If he's healthy this season, the 2024 third-round pick could give the Packers' offense something they haven't seen since Aaron Jones departed.
Lloyd has lightning speed. He can turn short gains into home runs. He can catch passes like a receiver. Sound familiar? That's what the Packers lost when they ended the Jones era two years ago.
The Packers clearly believe in him, and why not? NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah said they had landed the "best running back in the draft" after selecting Lloyd in the third round.
Injuries have prevented Lloyd from proving Jeremiah right. He has missed time with just about every ailment imaginable, battling hamstring, calf, groin, and ankle injuries. Just as he looked ready to return from injury in his rookie season, Lloyd required emergency surgery for appendicitis after suffering abdominal pain.
Despite all of that, Lloyd has remained positive. He has worked with specialists to help identify the root cause of his soft-tissue injuries. It's only July, and training camp hasn't started yet, but the signs are encouraging that Lloyd may have made a breakthrough and overcome the injury problems that wiped out almost two full seasons.
Per The Athletic's Matt Schneidman, Lloyd has worked with Dr. John Meyer this offseason, who is the Chairman of Performance, Health and Wellness for the Los Angeles Clippers.
They have taken steps toward discovering the underlying cause of Lloyd's recurring injury issues while strengthening his body to prevent further setbacks. Based on the offseason program, it would appear they've made tremendous progress.
And that's why he's slipping under the radar.
"He can do things that the other guys can't," Packers running back coach Ben Sirmans said, via Schneidman.
Lloyd's talent hasn't disappeared through all of this. When we have seen him on the field, he's looked every bit the third-round game-changer the Packers hoped for.
Take his 33-yard catch on a wheel route in a preseason game last summer. How many Packers running backs have displayed that kind of explosiveness, that kind of receiving ability? It's rare. Heartbreakingly, Lloyd suffered a hamstring injury on that exact play, and it's one of the reasons we didn't see him all year.
In his one season at USC in 2023, Lloyd put up 1,052 all-purpose yards with nine touchdowns. He averaged a ridiculous 7.1 yards per carry and 17.8 yards per catch.
No other Packers running back runs with the same speed and explosiveness as Lloyd. None of them can catch passes like he can.
Talk about the perfect complement to Josh Jacobs' tackle-breaking power. The Packers will need Lloyd to step up now that Emanuel Wilson isn't in the building.
His talent has never been an issue. The key was getting healthy.
Having taken significant strides toward overcoming his injury worries, Lloyd is poised for a breakout season nobody outside of Green Bay will see coming.
Add us as a preferred source on Google