Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, MarShawn Lloyd was a proven back in his final year at USC.
Unfortunately, due to injuries, Lloyd has yet to establish himself in the Green Bay Packers’ offense.
After missing a significant amount of time over the past two seasons in both 2024 and 2025, Lloyd enters the 2026 season with a promising outlook. Fully healthy and with plenty of preseason workload, he has an opportunity to finally prove what he can bring to Green Bay.
Lloyd’s College Success
During the 2024 Draft Combine, MarShawn Lloyd posted one of the top scores among all running backs. His total score of 78 ranked fifth overall. This helped prove Lloyd was one of the top backs in the 2024 draft class.
As for Lloyd’s collegiate career, he shined during his final two seasons. In 2022, Lloyd led South Carolina with 573 rushing yards. During his final collegiate season after transferring to USC, Lloyd earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 Conference honors. He also ranked seventh in the FBS, averaging 7.1 yards per carry.
These numbers showed the explosiveness the Packers hoped to see at the next level.
An Unfortunate Start in Green Bay
Unfortunately, injuries quickly became a major part of Lloyd’s start to his NFL career. During the first preseason game of the 2024 season, Lloyd sustained a hamstring injury. The injury delayed his rookie debut with the Packers.
He eventually made his NFL debut in Week 2 against the Colts. Unfortunately, Lloyd suffered a severe ankle injury during the game. He was later placed on injured reserve. Lloyd’s rookie season ended later that year. He was placed on the Non-Football Illness list, bringing his first season in the NFL to a close.
At the start of the 2025 season, Lloyd was sidelined by a non-contact groin injury during training camp. Shortly after, he was placed on injured reserve once again. Lloyd missed the entire 2025 regular season and never appeared in a game.
A Healthy Start to 2026
Heading into this season’s training camp, MarShawn Lloyd was fully healthy for the first time in his career, giving him the opportunity to showcase the skill set he holds. Through two preseason games, the Packers wasted no time increasing Lloyd’s workload. Across the two games, he totaled 10 carries while easing back into play. One highlight came in Denver, where Lloyd caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jordan Love. Preseason or not, Lloyd crossed the goal line for his first NFL touchdown.
Lloyd’s explosiveness and quickness have been on display throughout the preseason. His increased workload has allowed him to get more comfortable on the field. With more opportunities alongside the starters, Lloyd will continue to make an impact.
Final Notes
After injury-filled seasons, MarShawn Lloyd’s preparation and preseason performances have shown flashes of what he can bring to the Packers’ offense. Now fully healthy and seeing more opportunities, Lloyd has a chance to turn those flashes into a standout season in Green Bay.
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