The Green Bay Packers were outplayed in every facet of the game during their second preseason contest against the Denver Broncos. Of course, one must keep in mind that only one of their starters played, and that will either end up being either Javon Bullard or Evan Williams at safety (both played last night, one of them will start in the regular season).
Still, the Packers were hard to watch last night, particularly on offense where Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt are battling for the backup quarterback position behind Jordan Love. Neither quarterback played well with passer ratings of 30.4 for Clifford and 67.7 for Pratt.
Similarly, no Packers running back played particularly well either, though the absence of one particular player at the position seems to have answered one of the off-season’s most burning questions.
Green Bay Packers Running Back AJ Dillon Appears to Be a Lock to Make the 53-Man Roster
As mentioned, none of the Packers’ starters or key rotation players (except for the two rookies competing for a starting safety job) played last night. One of the more notable names on the list of inactive players was that of running back AJ Dillon, who came into the offseason competing for his job as the primary backup.
Rookie running back Marshawn Lloyd also did not play, but that is because he is dealing with a hamstring injury that he suffered against the Cleveland Browns last week. Dillon’s absence from the field of play, therefore, can only mean one thing: he is a lock for the 53-man roster.
This may be a shock to many fans who were calling on the Packers to cut Dillon after his four-carry, two-yard performance against the Cleveland Browns. He is also coming off of the worst season of his career after averaging 3.4 yards per carry in 2023.
However, he does a great deal of intangible things well that the other running backs do not do. Most importantly, he is healthy (and only costs a little over $1 million on the salary cap).
Green Bay Packers Running Back Emanuel Wilson Makes Earnest Post After Poor Performance Against the Denver Broncos
With Dillon presumably earning a spot on the 53-man roster, the race is on for who will capture Green Bay’s third running back role. As mentioned, Lloyd is hurt and despite being a third-round pick is not guaranteed a spot on the final roster unless he is healthy.
Lloyd’s absence on Sunday night meant that Emanuel Wilson, who made the 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent last year, got the majority of the carries. Unfortunately, he could do little with what was in front of him.
Wilson ended the night with 13 carries for 41 yards. He also had one reception for 11 yards.
After the game, he posted on X (formerly Twitter):
As seen, Wilson is not happy with his performance.
That being said, he is the best healthy running back behind Josh Jacobs and Dillon that Green Bay has right now. If Lloyd cannot get and stay healthy, Wilson will make the roster again.
