Since the day he was drafted in 2024, the leaders of the Green Bay Packers have maintained that running back MarShawn Lloyd could be a dynamic weapon as a receiver in the passing game.
It took far longer than expected, but the Packers finally caught a glimpse of Lloyd’s immense potential as a pass-catcher during Friday night’s preseason win over the Denver Broncos.
Lloyd, who hadn’t scored a touchdown in a live game since November of 2023 while at USC, capped off the Packers’ opening drive with an 11-yard touchdown catch.
On 3rd-and-3 from inside the red zone, Lloyd ran a choice route from the backfield — catching the defender flat-footed and leaning outside before he cut back inside and created an easy pitch-and-catch with Jordan Love for the touchdown. The linebacker in coverage had no chance to recover once Lloyd put his foot in the ground and displayed his dynamic quickness.
Against man coverage, running backs often face linebackers 1-on-1. Advantage, Lloyd. Against zone, passes to running backs can provide easy completions and opportunities for playmakers to break a tackle and create an explosive play. In an offense with field-stretching speed (Christian Watson, Matthew Golden), Lloyd could have a path to becoming a weapon on checkdowns and manufactured touches, not unlike Tucker Kraft.
Lloyd has easy movement ability, but he’s been unable to provide impact in Green Bay because injuries and sheer bad luck have limited him to one regular season appearance in two years. Finally healthy, and cruising through training camp without any soft tissue worries, Lloyd looks ready to make good on the Packers’ promise of his game-breaking receiving talent.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: MarShawn Lloyd shows off receiving potential on long-awaited TD
Reporting by Zach Kruse, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zach Kruse, Packers Wire | USA TODAY Network
