The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft.
With AJ Dillon set to hit the open market and Aaron Jones entering the final year of his contract, the Green Bay Packers will need to add a running back or two in the 2024 NFL Draft.
A player that the Packers could target on Day 3 of the upcoming draft is George Holani. The Boise State running back checks in at No. 89 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
A day three RB I'd like to see in Green Bay: Boise State's George Holani.
He took a bit of a backseat to Ashton Jeanty this season.
Ended his career with two 1,000 yard seasons and over 2,000 yards after contact.
The TD run was his final carry as Bronco. pic.twitter.com/4AQZRQzLaj
— Brennen Rupp (@Brennen_Rupp) January 7, 2024
Holani, a four-star recruit out of California, burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2019, rushing for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. Holani also added 26 receptions for 206 yards and three touchdowns. All those numbers helped him earn Mountain West Freshman of the Year.
In 2021, Holani rushed for 569 yards and one touchdown. The following season, he rushed for 1,157 yards and 10 touchdowns. The California native added three receiving touchdowns to his stat line.
This past season, Holani rushed for 748 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games, while sharing backfield duties with Ashton Jeanty.
“Holani was injured in the season opener at Washington, and wasn’t able to start playing until the week eight matchup against Wyoming,” Brady Frederick, a sports anchor at KTVB, said. “After that, he put together a strong back half of the season and led the Broncos with 191 total yards in a key game against Utah State. He also had a great showing in BSU’s loss at the LA Bowl. Considering what he did in essentially half a season, I would have expected a fully healthy Holani to rush for 1000 for a third time this year.”
Before diving into what makes Holani special on the football field, let’s talk about his leadership within the locker room. Jeanty, who finished this past season with 1,347 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, has praised Holani for helping him grow his game.
“George’s legacy has been imprinted here for a long time."
Boise State RB George Holani capped his five-year career with one of his best performances in recent memory Saturday in the #LABowl.
Read more: https://t.co/JEY83ojZlu pic.twitter.com/OMTMare2fE— Ron Counts (@Ron_BroncoBeat) December 17, 2023
“Despite not being a team captain, Holani was consistently one of the key leaders on the team,” Frederick said. “He’s a very humble player, and is very ‘about his business’ whenever we get him in a media availability session, but he was consistently pointed to as one of the best teammates on the roster. Jeanty, who very well might be one of the best running backs in college football next season told us George took him under his wing when he got to Boise, and played a huge role in his development from high school to college – and that continued from preseason, to while Holani was sidelined with injury, to when he got back and they were essentially competing with each other for touches.”
Holani is a compact running back and keeps his legs pumping through contact. During his monster season in 2022, Holani forced 70 missed tackles and racked up 758 yards after contact. While not a burner by any means, Holani shows good burst to quickly clear holes. He trusts his eyes and once he sees the hole he plants his foot and goes.
“He has a great mix of power, breakaway speed, and jukes to hurt opposing teams in a lot of ways,” Frederick said. “He also is great at taking care of the ball, he only lost four fumbles in his BSU career.”
Holani showcased soft hands out of the backfield and finished his career with 88 receptions for 777 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s a reliable screen target and finished his career with four career drops on 106 targets. He looks for work in pass protection and is a physical presence.
“I would say Holani’s greatest strength is his versatility,” Frederick said. “Holani is a great pass catcher and is especially dangerous in the screen game. While he’s great in the power run, he really excels in open space, and has a great ability to make people miss.”
Fit with the Packers
How can the Packers extend the career of Jones? By adding young weapons to help alleviate the pressure and workload for the dynamic back who is getting ready to tee off on the back nine of his career.
Although Holani has missed time in his career with injuries, he’s shown that he can be a dynamic playmaker when healthy. Adding a player late on Day 3 with his toughness, burst and reliability in the passing game would be a great addition to any running back room.
‘He’s a low-risk/high-reward prospect,” Frederick said. “I think with concerns about his injuries he’s going to fall later than he would if healthy, but he’s the kind of guy who will give your team 100 percent in every play, practice, and meeting, and will find a way to make an impact. Although Boise State ran a very conservative return game, it felt like they called for a fair catch 90 percent of the time, I think at his floor Holani could prove to be a very effective punt returner because of his ability to make things happen in space, and I think with development from an NFL training staff could prove to be a very effective player.”
