Packers Prospects: 5 Running Backs to Know Ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft
Mark takes a look at five running backs in the 2024 draft class that fit what the Packers like from the position.
By PackerAaron
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Comments (26)
Packman60
March 08, 2024 at 09:55 am
Brooks is by far my favorite for the Pack to pick, with Benson as my 2nd choice. I was very surprised that Braelon Allen wasn't covered in your running back review, as Gutey expressly mentioned that he would like a power back on his roster for the cold weather and short yardage situations.
stockholder
March 08, 2024 at 10:03 am
RB- 3rd rd. or it's a reach.
Hopefully Gute won't make that
same mistake he did with Dillion.
Naples Blvd
March 09, 2024 at 07:16 am
We need 2 playmakers at RB. Take them whenever you have to.
BruceC1960
March 08, 2024 at 10:07 am
I don’t know if it’s a back or O-line issue, but I’d sure like to be able to convert a 3rd or 4th and one.
TKWorldWide
March 08, 2024 at 10:35 am
And the old saying is “Don’t give it to a milk drinker on 3rd and 1.”
Sound advice.
PhantomII
March 08, 2024 at 09:41 pm
It's an OL issue as it has been since Bak went down and Lindsley was a FA and Bulaga aged out as a FA. Jenkins was good until Dillon ran into him...hope he heals up good. Fix the OL and it will fix the run and add more players to the pass game instead of blocking for an underperforming OL...."Road graders wanted"...
PackEyedOptimist
March 08, 2024 at 11:09 am
My thoughts on the five (plus):
Trey Benson: My favorite for the Packers, but I'm not spending a pick until 126, and he'll be gone by then.
Jaylen Wright: If he's there at 126, I'm picking him. My hope is to pick a RB at 126 and at 166.
Isaiah Davis: I think he's under-rated; he's one of my favorites for pick 166.
Dylan Laube: I'm not a big fan--he did well against poor competition, but he doesn't look fast enough or strong enough for the NFL.
Jonathan Brooks: The question is: "When do you pick him?" I'd take him at 166, but not with an earlier pick of ours--his injury leaves too many unknowns.
PLUS: Ray Davis is an inch shorter than they've picked in the past, but he's 211 pounds and WAY better than Laube, in my opinion. In fact, I prefer George Holani and Austin Jones to Laube.
I don't understand why Mark didn't discuss Marshawn Lloyd--he's a perfect Packer fit, and he may be there at 126.
Isaac Guerrendo should also be in the discussion; I probably wouldn't take him at 126 unless all the other were gone already, but he'd be great at 166.
crayzpackfan
March 08, 2024 at 11:16 am
"Jonathan Brooks: The question is: "When do you pick him?" I'd take him at 166, but not with an earlier pick of ours--his injury leaves too many unknowns."
166? He will be gone about 80-90 picks before that even coming off his injury.
PackEyedOptimist
March 08, 2024 at 11:26 am
Probably. And I'm fine with that.
crayzpackfan
March 08, 2024 at 02:48 pm
Fair enough. I actually like that kid from Tenn. He has a lot of Jones like traits.
PhantomII
March 08, 2024 at 09:51 pm
He's the one we need along with the OL upgrades. We will need to take him at the top of the 2nd. People have been pissy with the RB group. There may be no Barkley this year, but I saw 2-3 pretty good second round guys including Wright from (Tenn.) We have Jones-Maybe and nobody else...So we will take at least 2-RB's and I want a pretty damn good one. I would like plug and play FA- FS . Plug and playFA- SS. FA-LB . Pick#1 OT / Pick#2 RB / Pick #3 Center/ IOL..#4 IOL , Pick#5-7 Safeties and RB.
LLCHESTY
March 08, 2024 at 01:41 pm
Lloyd weighed 10 lbs heavier at the combine than listed at USC and then ran a 4.46. I think he moved himself into the 3rd round. I'd be fine with him at 91 but I also think he's the closest thing to Aaron Jones, albeit at 220 lbs instead of 208.
MooPack
March 08, 2024 at 11:54 am
Mark,
I'd rank them this way:
1) Jonathon Brooks (if medical checks out). Do they take the risk?
2) Jaylen Wright (I think he was used on quite a few screen plays and pass pro blocked pretty well)
3) Trey Benson (probably most well rounded)
4) Isaac Guerendo (can't teach that kind of speed and explosion)
5) Audric Estime (Terrible 40 probably pushed him to 5th round or later)
More on Estime, who I would've ranked higher if not for that 40 time. Very strange. 10 yard split was .03 lower than Wright. Tied with Corum and Davis. He posted elite explosion scores. Tied for 4th with Wright with a 38" vert and was 4th with a 10'5" broad. If you look at his game stats this year he had Long runs of 80, 50, 41, 39, 33, 25, 22, 21, etc. That's not counting runs in between. How in holy hell do you rip off runs of 80, 50, 40, even 30 being that slow? Even against terrible competition. How do you not get caught from behind? It doesn't add up to me. If he's there 3rd day, I take him. He's going to get that short yardage. 18 TD's last year.
Anyway, I wouldn't draft any of them before the 3rd round. Even Brooks. I think other areas take priority.
WD
March 08, 2024 at 12:44 pm
RB is in my view the most critical need on offense . Right now we have Aaron Jones, who will most likely be at least limited at some point during the regular season. We have five picks in the first three rounds. Three in the first two rounds. There is no excuse for not drafting at least one of the best RBs in the second round preferably Brooks or Benson if not both! The best thing to help a passing game is to compliment it with a great running game. So, Safety at 25 (De Jean) , RB at 41( Benson, or Brooks if medical is good.) ILB 58. Third round address O-line , and Edge or CB. Hint: ILB is most critical need on defense. So let's hope it plays out well.
Leatherhead
March 08, 2024 at 01:11 pm
All of those guys are going to look better if we have blocking.
Currently, we'd be lining up Walker, Newman, Myers, Rhyan and Tom. That's not bad at all. As soon as somebody gets hurt at any position, Newman is in the starting lineup. Or maybe Mt. Caleb. Yuk.
Remember, you're drafting guys who will protect Love and open holes in the run game for the next four years. That's the critical need, IMO. We have all the components for a great offense if guys are getting blocked.
We do need a RB who can carry a big load, given the circumstances, and my personal preferences are guys who don't turn it over and who finish moving forward. I like Benson and Brooks, and Wright, and I absolutely believe at least one of them will be on the board at #58.
After #58, it's a long time until #88, and IMO, it's too important to just leave to chance, so I'd be inclined to take my RB then. Behind an improved line.
Today's PFN Mock
Graham Barton at #25, Tyler Nubin #41, Trey Benson #58, Kiran Amegadjie, #88, and Javon Bullard at #91.
MooPack
March 08, 2024 at 01:54 pm
LH,
Try this one on for size.
Today on Consensus - 5 rounds:
25) S Cooper DeJean (every great once in a while He falls. Today was a day)
41) OT King Sua (Barton was close, but taken)
58) LB Edgerrin Cooper
88) RB Trey Benson
91) RB Jaylen Wright
127) S/slot Dadrion Taylor-Demerson
168) OG Brandon Coleman
golfpacker1
March 08, 2024 at 05:32 pm
That's a keeper Moo, it addressed all the real needs . If we hit on just 1 or 2 on Day 3, then that's the top NFL draft for 2024. And I like Sua way better than Barton anyway. He is a better OT for sure, and probably a better OG if he tried it.
MooPack
March 08, 2024 at 07:59 pm
I don't know who down voted us, but if you don't like that draft, you have some serious deficiency in talent evaluation. Or just a knee-jerk hater.
Doofapotamus
March 08, 2024 at 09:34 pm
It's funny, our drafts were similar, yet still so different. I mocked a draft today that also has DeJean falling to 25, I didn't like what I saw at 41 so I took the trade from whatever team was willing to give me their 2nd and 90th to move up and then I began my real meat and potatoes of the run. #57 OT Patrick Paul, #58 LB Payton Wilson, #88 RB Braelon Allen, #89 S Javon Bullard, #91 S Calen Bullock (took Bullock to play S while DeJean and Bullard can play slot or float) #108 RB Jaylen Wright, #125 C Tanor Bortolini, #168 LB Curtis Jacobs, #219 TE Tip Reiman, then finally #239 T Prince Pines. I didn't draft any edge rushers because there were none worth my drafting position but I made sure the secondary and LB positions would be set. I got some really solid offensive lineman later in the draft and I obviously fixed the RB room for the future. Obviously this draft was for needs not addressed by FA and after seeing the state of the safety market I would imagine we're going to sign one. This would still be a fun draft
MooPack
March 08, 2024 at 01:19 pm
I'd rate OL slightly ahead of RB. Behind Jones, we have nothing. Behind the starting 5 OL we have nothing. And you could argue that a couple of the OL, Myers and Rhyan, are nothing to brag about. With a better OL the RB's could do so much better, especially short yardage. However, Jones is a special back because he has created on his own. Without him this team probably doesn't go far. On the flip side, if the OL gets just one injury, which is likely to happen, not only does the run game suffer, but more importantly the protection of Love is now in question. That, to me, puts the OL over the top.
Agree with you on Cooper DeJean. Agree with you on ILB. Love to get Edgerrin Cooper in the latter 2nd. In between those two I'd take an OL like King Sua, Jordan Morgan, etc. Then in the 3rd grab one of the above RB's that should be there.
Packerpasty
March 08, 2024 at 12:45 pm
No love for Blake Corum?? I think he will be a very good pro...team player, tough as nails...a bit short but he gets the tough yardage for Uof M , which as everyone knows plays some pretty good competition...
WD
March 08, 2024 at 04:01 pm
I would love to see him drafted as our 2nd RB in the third or forth round. Jones Benson and Corum sounds like a great trio to me. Corum slipped a little at the combine with a slower time than expected; but he is not slow on the field. He is quick, explosive and squeezes through even the tiniest holes in the line. I love him. Pound for pound he may be the best of the bunch.
golfpacker1
March 08, 2024 at 05:46 pm
With all of the really solid RBs in this class that could star for GB, you put Laube on the list. And you leave Marshawn Lloyd, an Aaron Jones clone, off your list. Is that a joke? Laube looked like he was overmatched at the Senior Bowl. He has UFDA written all over him.
Jaylen Wright helped himself the most at the combine and he could be picked in the 2nd. He is also an AJ clone. As is Bucky Irving. He and Estime hurt themselves with their combine 40 times, but get over it, their tape doesn't lie.
It's ridiculous to leave Allen and Estime off the list, especially after Gute has repeatedly said he wants a bigger back to compliment AJ. They will both fall to the 4th, and they are perfect replacement/upgrades for Dillon and the Packers.
To say Brooks will be the best RB in this class is pretty sketchy having really only one year of production. I would throw out Isaac Guerendo instead. Also, one year of real production, but bigger, faster, catches as well, and isn't going to miss time because of the ACL surgery.
golfpacker1
March 08, 2024 at 08:57 pm
Latest draft today;
25.Kool-Aid McKinstry
CB Alabama
41.Kamren Kinchens
S Miami (FL)
58. Christian Mahogany
OG Boston College
88. Braden Fiske
DT Florida State
98. Jaylen Wright
RB Tennessee
125. Jaden Hicks
S Washington State
156.Isaac Guerendo
RB Louisville
176. Christian Jones
OT Texas
201. Brennan Jackson
EDGE Washington State
209. Dallin Holker
TE Colorado State
219. Jordan Magee
LB Temple
230. Kamal Hadden
CB Tennessee
245. Tyler Owens
S Texas Tech
255. Braiden McGregor
EDGE Michigan
Naples Blvd
March 09, 2024 at 07:21 am
I can see you don't do your own reasearch. Your first 2 picks are media hype as reality of their skill level has been revealed. Kool Aid will be day 2 and Kinchens Day 3.
golfpacker1
March 09, 2024 at 08:28 am
You can read different opinions everywhere. And I do my own research. I pay way more attention to the whole draft process than I do the actual season. Stokes is a huge question mark for the Packers. McKinstry is a Top 5 corner on 90% of the rating services. He could start Day 1 if Stokes can't go again. I f Stokes is good to go again, McKinstry could let us move on from the expensive Alexander contract in 2026.
Kinchens will bounce back and have a much better Pro Day than he did @ the Combine. The guy is way faster than 4.65. 2 years of game tape @ the Power 5 level is way more truthful than a bad combine 40 time. I hope a lot of teams take him completely off their boards like you have. GB can make him the steal of the draft @ #58 or #88.
So does my whole draft suck then Naples, or just those 2 picks? Your opinion is so credible with those 2 comments you have on here.