Once buried on the offseason depth chart and considered a long shot to make the roster, Green Bay Packers running back Emanuel Wilson has since emerged as a legitimate weapon for coach Matt LaFleur behind starter Josh Jacobs.
Through three games, Wilson is second on the Packers offense in touches (25) and third in total yards (142). Who would have guessed? Wilson’s breakout game arrived Sunday, when he scored his first career touchdown and set a new career high for total yards (85) during the Packers’ 30-14 win over the Tennessee Titans. Back in Week 1, Wilson sparked the Packers offense to life in the first half with a pair of 10+ runs on a scoring drive.
With veteran A.J. Dillon on season-long injured reserve and third-round pick Lloyd on short-term injured reserve and out for at least another three weeks, Wilson has a real chance to cement himself as the true No. 2 running back in Green Bay for 2024. And he’s taking full advantage to start the season.
It’s early, but Wilson is averaging 5.0 yards per carry, with three runs over 10 yards, five missed tackles forced and six first downs on only 21 carries. His success rate as a runner is 57.1 percent — the 11th best mark among running backs with at least 15 carries this season. He also caught a 30-yard touchdown pass on a swing screen on Sunday, which showcased his burst and vision as an open-field runner. His pass protection — usually a difficult area of improvement for young backs — is drastically better in 2024. In fact, Wilson ranks fifth in pass protection grade among running backs at Pro Football Focus through three weeks. Again, the sample size is small, but he’s delivered smart and physical blocks picking up blitzers on three different opportunities across four pass-blocking snaps this season, including a block allowing Malik Willis to scramble for a first down last Sunday.
Keep that ball!
Emanuel Wilson scores his first NFL TD 🙌
📺: #GBvsTEN – Sunday on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/0TW8INVcwc— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
While possibly a product of Jacobs carrying the football 32 times in Week 2, Wilson and Jacobs mostly split snaps on Sunday in the heat in Nashville. Jacobs was on the field for 33 snaps, while Wilson played 26 snaps. Throughout his career as a playcaller, LaFleur has preferred splitting reps and touches for running backs in an effort to keep the position fresh and healthy.
Wilson is making that split easier to pull off for the Packers.
Like Jacobs, Wilson is a big back with impressive burst. He runs hard and flashes impressive contact balance. His improvements in the passing game have helped transform him from exciting running prospect to legitimate all-around contributor in an NFL offense.
The Packers still like Lloyd, a third-round pick and another big runner with explosive burst. But Wilson’s emergence to start 2024 has allowed the Packers to roll at running back without Dillon and Lloyd behind Jacobs. His early season success likely isn’t just a mirage — Wilson looks like a three-down player for LaFleur and the deep Packers offense.
