We have a while before any more meaningful football news happens, but OTAs and mandatory minicamp gave us plenty to consider.
As the Green Bay Packers transition to a more youth-oriented team, we’ve seen young players step up to take bigger roles. We got a juicy taste of the position battles we’ll see during training camp, and one of the most underrated might be the battle for the team’s third running back spot.
With one of the league’s best one-two punches in Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, RB3 hasn’t been a huge priority role for the Packers in the past. But running back is one of the most physical positions, and it’s good to keep the position well-stocked with talent. No one knows what the future holds for Jones and Dillon after this season. (Or in general, but this is a football website and not a musing on the nature of time.)
Tyler Goodson is a name to watch this summer after a strong showing at OTAs and a good 2022 pre-season. Can Goodson take the next step and make the initial roster as RB3?
Goodson has been a consistent standout through June, just like he was last off-season. The second-year former UDFA can do a little bit of everything on offense thanks to his shifty speed and immense work ethic. Goodson has excellent burst and brings some Aaron Jones-lite playmaking ability when he’s given the ball. He possesses good pass-catching skills and could even play some slot.
Goodson’s performance is catching the right eyes. Both Aaron Jones and Matt LaFleur have lauded Goodson’s work these past few weeks.
“I think Tyler Goodson will be a weapon for us,” Jones noted. “He’s been out here balling, working hard.”
Meanwhile, LaFleur noticed the leap Goodson has taken. “He’s got a much better grasp of the expectations of what it takes to be a pro,” he said. “He’s got two great examples in that room. I think that’s a huge help in that room.”
That second-year leap will be crucial to making the initial roster. Goodson was also a standout last off-season, but he spent the season on the practice squad. Jones and Dillon were the only two running backs on the initial roster.
Green Bay’s plan was to start with their stars and elevate from the practice squad as needed until second-year back Kylin Hill returned from injury. Hill eventually came back but was released shortly after, with Patrick Taylor being elevated to the RB3 role after that.
Goodson is probably the third-best back Green Bay has on offense, but how many offensive snaps are there for the taking? Jones and Dillon will dominate snaps once again and be a focal point of the offense. In 2022, Jones played 57.59% of offensive snaps while Dillon played 49.09%. Beyond the duo, Patrick Taylor played just 3.02% of snaps while Kylin Hill had a grand total of 1 (one) snap. Taylor played 28.5% of special teams snaps, leading the running back position there. Even when Matt LaFleur used two running back sets, it was just Jones and Dillon.
Will there be more snaps for young running backs in 2023? Despite the rushing attack, the Packers weren’t great at running the ball into the end zone in 2022. But there’s good reason to believe that should improve in 2023. Jordan Love doesn’t appear to have the same tendencies as his predecessor and may trust his running backs over playing hero ball, leading to more opportunities on offense.
But regardless, running backs coach Ben Sirmans said that special teams play will be a big deciding factor on that third running back spot. Hill was expected to be a returning option last season. A special teams role gave Taylor the edge over Goodson last season, as evidenced but his aforementioned snap counts.
Goodson’s best chance to make the roster is to find a bigger role on special teams, and showing skill as a returner might be the way. Keisean Nixon broke out as the league’s best return man last season but looks to take a bigger role on defense this year. While Nixon might be able to do it all, having other options at returner is a good idea.
But while RB3 might not play a lot of offensive snaps this year, there may be more in the future. Aaron Jones is getting older, and A.J. Dillon is on the final year of his rookie deal. Should the Packers choose to move on from either of them, it’s worth having a budding offensive player on the roster.
Finding a role on special teams would give Goodson the edge over his competition. But there could be more opportunities on offense during the Love era, especially if injuries hit. Goodson is doing everything he should to make the roster. If he keeps impressing, he’ll be hard to keep off of the active roster.
