After going defense with both of their second-round picks, the Green Bay Packers drafted USC running back MarShawn Lloyd at 88th overall in the third round.
A transfer from South Carolina, Lloyd flourished in his one season in the Pac-12, totaling 820 yards on 116 carries (7.1 YPC) for nine rushing touchdowns. He’s a stocky back at 5-9, 220 lbs, who showcased good speed after running the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds at the Scouting Combine. Lloyd has all the traits to be a productive back, but he needs to stay healthy and work on ball security (fumbled eight times in college career).
Here’s what several prominent draft analysts said about Lloyd during the pre-draft process:
Dane Brugler, The Athletic
“A one-year starter at USC, Lloyd was the top back on the depth chart in head coach Lincoln Riley’s RPO, spread (multiple-run) scheme. After three years at South Carolina, he transferred to the Trojans and had a productive 2023 season (led the team in rushing in 11 of 12 regular-season games), finishing as one of only five FBS running backs to average more than 7.0 yards per carry. With his vision and dynamic cutting skills, Lloyd is a shift runner with the short-area explosion and lateral agility to leave defenders diving at air (20.87 percent of his carries resulted in a 10-plus-yard gain). He frequently springs free because of the creativity he shows with the ball in his hands, although he relies too much on his east-west options and needs to be more consistent finishing runs. Overall, Lloyd doesn’t have the profile of a high-volume back, but he can spark an NFL offense with his mix of patience, burst and promise as a pass catcher. His tape gives me flashbacks of a thicker version of Duke Johnson when he was coming out of Miami.”
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
“Lloyd’s flashes on tape could lead a team to envision a more expansive role for him in its offense, but based on his play, he feels more like a good complementary option with big-play potential. Frankly, some of his South Carolina tape from 2022 felt more exciting than his 2023 USC film, despite the higher yardage-per-carry mark in 2023. While he ran with improved patience and set up blockers more diligently in ’23, he ran with a greater sense of urgency the year prior and proved he could create explosive plays without as much help from his offensive line. Lloyd runs with slightly below-average vision but has the juice to play the role of “chunk-play slasher” and dangerous open-field pass catcher. Lloyd is a low-mileage prospect, and the scope of his role will obviously depend on scheme fit.”
PFF draft guide
“Lloyd’s calling card is his athletic ability. His burst, agility and long speed are all well above average for the NFL level. He’s the kind of back who he can take it to the house if he gets to the sideline. His vision for finding those running lanes is still inconsistent, as he often fails to see cutback lanes in zone-blocking schemes. However, when running gap schemes, he does seem more patient. As a third-down back, he wasn’t used much as a receiver, but he does have good hands and an electric after-the-catch ability. He is also one who takes pride in his blocking game to help other teammates.”
Bleacher Report Scouting Department
“Marshawn Lloyd is a bundle of explosive traits who has not yet channeled that into a complete running back profile.
Lloyd plays with serious burst. To and through the line of scrimmage, Lloyd kicks into top gear instantly. He has the speed to break away and finish those runs in the end zone as well. Lloyd not only ripped off a handful of long runs at USC, but he managed to do the same on a few screens in limited opportunities.
Lloyd also has burst and wiggle at the second level. He isn’t as smooth or creative as other backs, but he boasts a raw explosiveness that helps him force missed tackles.
However, Lloyd struggles at the line of scrimmage. He often hesitates when color flashes in a gap, and he does not read the leverage of blocks very well. As a result, Lloyd often takes a beat too long to get upfield or runs himself into his own blockers.
Additionally, it’s rare to see Lloyd plunge forward through contact for a safe, efficient gain rather than hunt for the big play on the perimeter. Lloyd’s upright rushing style makes it difficult to do that anyway, which may be why he avoids it.
On passing downs, Lloyd is kind of a mystery box. He showed unbelievable explosive potential on screens and flashed solid pass-catching traits otherwise, but he was rarely thrown the ball at USC. He feels like someone with untapped potential in the passing game. Lloyd was also rarely used in pass protection, so he will have a lot to learn there.
Lloyd is a gamble on explosive ability. His adequate size, blazing speed and nimble feet are a combination of traits worth swinging on. At the same time, Lloyd may need time to adjust to pro running schemes and develop his vision as a runner, as well as his third-down skills.”
The Draft Network
“MarShawn Lloyd is a well-rounded running back that shows plus attributes running the football while also being utilized in the passing game out of the backfield. In the running game from the snap, Lloyd shows off good vision and does a good job scanning for any creases. Once Lloyd has found the crease, he is a back that understands “slow to and fast through” as he can accelerate through the hole and pick up significant yardage. When creases are not immediately available, Lloyd can string together an array of jump-cuts and lateral maneuvers to create his running opportunities and turn potentially negative plays into positives. As a runner in the open field, Lloyd has straight-line speed to accelerate away from defenders and also has an element of elusiveness to condense his frame just enough that defenders whiff on tackles and usually have to make contact with an arm tackle that he can run through. In the passing game, Lloyd can be utilized as a receiver out of the backfield and in pass protection. In pass protection, Lloyd is a high-IQ player who can quickly identify blitzers and effectively pick them up. Lloyd’s size is a concern against bigger defenders, but he shows toughness and a willingness to pick up blitzers. Lloyd’s biggest concern as a player is ball security. In back-to-back seasons, multiple times throughout the season, the ball has come loose, which could be from Lloyd carrying the ball too loosely or defenders having great strip attempts. Either way, this is something that defenders will identify and they’ll continue to try and strip the ball away from Lloyd. This is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately or it will significantly negatively impact his opportunities in the NFL.”
33rd Team
“Lloyd projects as a versatile change-of-pace back who could see usage on all downs thanks to his balanced skill set. His route running and explosiveness could pave a path to a 3rd down role at the next level, though his size might be a limited factor in terms of pass protection. Though he has limited special teams experience in college, his effort level and overall athleticism should allow him to be a contributing member.”
