The Packers don’t have a stand-out, can’t-miss running back, but they do have nice depth at the position. Jamaal Williams, Ty Montgomery and Aaron Jones have all shown some ability to be productive.
Williams got most of the work last year. Montgomery ran into injury issues last year but was effective in 2016. He’s also in a contract year, and Mike McCarthy says Montgomery appears to be in good shape and champing at the bit to make a good impact.
Then there’s Aaron Jones. It was odd when they selected him in the fifth round last year because they had just chosen Williams in the fourth. But Jones busted loose for a lot of long runs in his brief playing time last year.
Jones, in fact, had six runs over 20 yards despite carrying the ball only 81 times overall. There were 72 running backs last year with at least 50 carries, and none of them had a higher percentage of carries going for 20-plus yards.
Williams (who had twice as many carries) and Montgomery each had only one run of 20-plus yards.
I’m not guaranteeing Jones will be a starter on opening day. There are many other factors to look at. Williams and Montgomery, for example, were both a lot better in the passing game last year. Most likely it will be some kind of committee approach, with multiple backs getting 40-plus percent of the work in most games.
But Jones definitely brings some sizzle as a runner.
| PERCENTAGE OF RUNS OVER 20 YARDS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | 20+ | Pct |
| Aaron Jones, G.B. | 81 | 448 | 5.5 | 4 | 6 | 7.4% |
| Marlon Mack, Ind. | 93 | 358 | 3.8 | 3 | 6 | 6.5% |
| Dalvin Cook, Minn. | 74 | 354 | 4.8 | 2 | 4 | 5.4% |
| Kenyan Drake, Mia. | 133 | 644 | 4.8 | 3 | 7 | 5.3% |
| Bilal Powell, NYJ | 178 | 772 | 4.3 | 5 | 9 | 5.1% |
| Mark Ingram, N.O. | 230 | 1,124 | 4.9 | 12 | 11 | 4.8% |
| Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 105 | 458 | 4.4 | 2 | 5 | 4.8% |
| Tarik Cohen, Chi. | 87 | 370 | 4.3 | 2 | 4 | 4.6% |
| Mike Davis, Sea. | 68 | 240 | 3.5 | 0 | 3 | 4.4% |
| Kareem Hunt, K.C. | 272 | 1,327 | 4.9 | 8 | 12 | 4.4% |
| LeSean McCoy, Buff. | 287 | 1,138 | 4.0 | 6 | 12 | 4.2% |
| Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 120 | 728 | 6.1 | 8 | 5 | 4.2% |
| LeGarrette Blount, Phil. | 173 | 766 | 4.4 | 2 | 7 | 4.0% |
| Dion Lewis, N.E. | 180 | 896 | 5.0 | 6 | 7 | 3.9% |
| D'Onta Foreman, Hou. | 78 | 327 | 4.2 | 2 | 3 | 3.8% |
| Tevin Coleman, Atl. | 156 | 628 | 4.0 | 5 | 6 | 3.8% |
| Jalen Richard, Oak. | 56 | 275 | 4.9 | 1 | 2 | 3.6% |
| Orleans Darkwa, NYG | 171 | 751 | 4.4 | 5 | 6 | 3.5% |
| Alfred Morris, Dall. | 115 | 547 | 4.8 | 1 | 4 | 3.5% |
| Latavius Murray, Minn. | 216 | 842 | 3.9 | 8 | 7 | 3.2% |
| Rex Burkhead, N.E. | 64 | 264 | 4.1 | 5 | 2 | 3.1% |
| Ameer Abdullah, Det. | 165 | 552 | 3.3 | 4 | 5 | 3.0% |
| Jay Ajayi, Mia.-Phil. | 208 | 876 | 4.2 | 1 | 6 | 2.9% |
| Todd Gurley, LAR | 279 | 1,305 | 4.7 | 13 | 8 | 2.9% |
| C.J. Anderson, Den. | 245 | 1,007 | 4.1 | 3 | 7 | 2.9% |
| Derrick Henry, Tenn. | 176 | 744 | 4.2 | 5 | 5 | 2.8% |
| Alex Collins, Balt. | 212 | 973 | 4.6 | 6 | 6 | 2.8% |
| Corey Clement, Phil. | 74 | 321 | 4.3 | 4 | 2 | 2.7% |
| Devonta Freeman, Atl. | 196 | 865 | 4.4 | 7 | 5 | 2.6% |
| Carlos Hyde, S.F. | 240 | 938 | 3.9 | 8 | 6 | 2.5% |
| Isaiah Crowell, Clev. | 206 | 853 | 4.1 | 2 | 5 | 2.4% |
| Marshawn Lynch, Oak. | 207 | 891 | 4.3 | 7 | 5 | 2.4% |
| Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 242 | 983 | 4.1 | 7 | 5 | 2.1% |
| Matt Breida, S.F. | 105 | 465 | 4.4 | 2 | 2 | 1.9% |
| Rod Smith, Dall. | 55 | 232 | 4.2 | 4 | 1 | 1.8% |
| Jordan Howard, Chi. | 276 | 1,122 | 4.1 | 9 | 5 | 1.8% |
| Wayne Gallman, NYG | 111 | 476 | 4.3 | 0 | 2 | 1.8% |
| Melvin Gordon, LAC | 284 | 1,105 | 3.9 | 8 | 5 | 1.8% |
| Thomas Rawls, Sea. | 58 | 157 | 2.7 | 0 | 1 | 1.7% |
| Kerwynn Williams, Ariz. | 120 | 426 | 3.6 | 1 | 2 | 1.7% |
| DeMarco Murray, Tenn. | 184 | 659 | 3.6 | 6 | 3 | 1.6% |
| Rob Kelley, Wash. | 62 | 194 | 3.1 | 3 | 1 | 1.6% |
| Malcolm Brown, LAR | 63 | 246 | 3.9 | 1 | 1 | 1.6% |
| Chris Thompson, Wash. | 64 | 294 | 4.6 | 2 | 1 | 1.6% |
| Jacquizz Rodgers, T.B. | 64 | 244 | 3.8 | 1 | 1 | 1.6% |
| Mike Tolbert, Buff. | 66 | 247 | 3.7 | 1 | 1 | 1.5% |
| Leonard Fournette, Jac. | 268 | 1,040 | 3.9 | 9 | 4 | 1.5% |
| Alfred Blue, Hou. | 71 | 262 | 3.7 | 1 | 1 | 1.4% |
| Ty Montgomery, G.B. | 71 | 273 | 3.8 | 3 | 1 | 1.4% |
| Jerick McKinnon, Minn. | 150 | 570 | 3.8 | 3 | 2 | 1.3% |
| Adrian Peterson, N.O.-Az. | 156 | 529 | 3.4 | 2 | 2 | 1.3% |
| Devontae Booker, Den. | 79 | 299 | 3.8 | 1 | 1 | 1.3% |
| Theo Riddick, Det. | 84 | 286 | 3.4 | 3 | 1 | 1.2% |
| Elijah McGuire, NYJ | 88 | 315 | 3.6 | 1 | 1 | 1.1% |
| Joe Mixon, Cin. | 178 | 626 | 3.5 | 4 | 2 | 1.1% |
| Matt Forte, NYJ | 103 | 381 | 3.7 | 2 | 1 | 1.0% |
| LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 321 | 1,291 | 4.0 | 9 | 3 | 0.9% |
| Peyton Barber, T.B. | 108 | 423 | 3.9 | 3 | 1 | 0.9% |
| Chris Ivory, Jac. | 112 | 382 | 3.4 | 1 | 1 | 0.9% |
| Christian McCaffrey, Car. | 117 | 435 | 3.7 | 2 | 1 | 0.9% |
| Doug Martin, T.B. | 138 | 406 | 2.9 | 3 | 1 | 0.7% |
| Jamaal Williams, G.B. | 153 | 556 | 3.6 | 4 | 1 | 0.7% |
| Javorius Allen, Balt. | 153 | 591 | 3.9 | 4 | 1 | 0.7% |
| Samaje Perine, Wash. | 175 | 603 | 3.4 | 1 | 1 | 0.6% |
| Jonathan Stewart, Car. | 198 | 680 | 3.4 | 6 | 1 | 0.5% |
| Lamar Miller, Hou. | 238 | 888 | 3.7 | 3 | 1 | 0.4% |
| Frank Gore, Ind. | 261 | 961 | 3.7 | 3 | 1 | 0.4% |
| DeAndre Washington, Oak. | 57 | 153 | 2.7 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Eddie Lacy, Sea. | 69 | 179 | 2.6 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Jamaal Charles, Den. | 69 | 296 | 4.3 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Duke Johnson, Clev. | 82 | 348 | 4.2 | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mike Gillislee, N.E. | 104 | 383 | 3.7 | 5 | 0 | 0.0% |
—Ian Allan