Packers have Cowboys blunder to thank for drafting MarShawn Lloyd

MarShawn Lloyd is a perfect fit for the Green Bay Packers' offense and could be a home-run selection.

The Packers are already impressed with what they've seen from Lloyd at rookie minicamp, with offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich saying the plan is to play him "as much as possible" this season.

Lloyd said he didn't expect to end up in Green Bay, but he couldn't be happier. The rookie believes that with all the young talent the Packers have on offense, they have what it takes to win the Super Bowl this season.

But Lloyd to Green Bay almost didn't happen. Along with recent reports that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wanted to draft him a pick after the Packers, the Dallas Cowboys considered selecting him right before Green Bay hit the clock.

Cowboys' draft mistake helped Packers land MarShawn Lloyd

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Dallas could've drafted a running back at No. 87 overall, one pick before the Packers selected Lloyd. And the USC product was on the Cowboys' radar.

"Dallas had shown enough pre-draft love to MarShawn Lloyd that the USC tailback (who went to Green Bay at No. 88) thought the Cowboys would be one of the possible teams to draft him," reports Fowler.

Unfortunately for Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys, they missed their opportunity. Green Bay took Lloyd at No. 88, and four more running backs came off the board in the fourth round, where Dallas had zero picks. Instead of selecting Lloyd, the Cowboys brought back Ezekiel Elliott, who had a career-worst three rushing touchdowns and just 3.5 yards per attempt with the New England Patriots last season.

With the 87th pick, the Cowboys drafted linebacker Marist Liufau, who was 157th on the consensus board. While they didn't pick again until the fifth round, there's a chance Liufau would've still been available.

It worked perfectly for Green Bay. The Cowboys' error allowed them to draft Lloyd. Jeremy Fowler reported that the Packers "see shades of Aaron Jones" in Lloyd, which is only fitting, considering how often Jones destroyed the Cowboys' defense.

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