Name: MarShawn Lloyd 

School: USC

Year: Redshirt Junior

Position: Running Back

Measurables: 5’9”, 220 lbs (Combine Measurements)

Combine: ARM: 30 3/8th” HAND: 8 3/4” VERTICAL: 36” BROAD: 9’10” BENCH: 25 reps 40-YD DASH: 4.46 seconds 10-YD SPLIT: 1.56 seconds 20-YD SHUTTLE:

Stats:

Courtesy of Sports-Reference.com

General Info:

MarShawn Lloyd was one of the most highly regarded Running Backs in the 2020 recruiting class. 247Sports had him ranked as the a four-star composite prospect, and the 5th overall RB after an impressive career at DeMatha Catholic School in Hyattsville, Maryland. Lloyd was spoiled for choice, with powerhouses like Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and Michigan all vying for the talented runner. In the end, though, he surprised, electing to enroll at South Carolina, where he would play his first three years of college ball.

Lloyd’s first year at South Carolina became a medical redshirt season, after Lloyd suffered a torn ACL early in Fall Camp.

Lloyd’s second season, now a redshirt freshman, saw him take a limited role on the Gamecocks’ offense. As the third RB behind (future NFLers) Kevin Harris and Zaquandre White, Lloyd ran for just 228 yards (fourth on the team) at 3.6 YPC. He also recorded three receptions for 44 yards.

Both Harris and White departed after the season, the former drafted into the NFL and the latter a UDFA, opening the door for Lloyd to take over. Lloyd started 8 of 9 games he appeared in 2022 and was much improved in his second season on the field. His 573 yards led the team, and he earned them at a far more efficient 5.2 YPC. Lloyd showed some receiving ability, too, with 18 catches for 176 yards. His 11 TDs led South Carolina on the season.

Following the season, Lloyd transferred to USC to play under coach Lincoln Riley. Lloyd’s sole season at USC was the most productive of his career. Despite playing in Riley’s Air Raid offense, Lloyd recorded 820 rushing yards on just 116 attempts (7.1 YPC), both of which led the team. 9 of his carries of his reached the end zone, second on the team. Lloyd recorded 13 catches for a career high 232 yards. After the season, Lloyd declared for the 2024 NFL Draft.

Lloyd’s pre-Draft process was busy, participating in both the Reese’s Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine. At the Senior Bowl, after a strong week of practice, Lloyd was voted the top RB on the National Team by the team’s Linebackers. However, it was the Combine that really raised Lloyd’s stock. As a RB with relatively low production, demonstrating his athleticism at the Combine was key for Lloyd. His 4.46 40-time was fantastic for a 220 pound back, and his 25 reps on Bench Press was third best among RBs. Currently, Lloyd is seen as likely to be drafted around the 4th round, with a decent chance of sneaking into Day 2 of the Draft.

Positional Skills:

Strengths

One of the specters that usually haunts RB prospects in the pre-draft process is the amount of wear they have from college careers, but Lloyd is the uncommon exception. He never dominated the backfield at South Carolina, and as the lead back in an Air Raid option, saw relatively few carries. Lloyd comes into the NFL with fresh legs.

Remarkable speed/size blend. Lloyd possesses uncommon speed and burst for 220 pound runner. Neither a pile-mover nor a jitterbug, Lloyd uses his athletic skillset in a very self-complimentary fashion; he is the type of back that always falls forward because he knows when to engage in contact or give a little shake.

That being said, Lloyd has really nice wiggle in open-field situations. He’s a hard back to take down one-on-one if you get him in space.

Comes into the NFL more capable of pass-protection than most backs. Lloyd showed a juice in that part of the game last year at USC.

Weaknesses:

The low mileage that Lloyd benefits from means nothing if he can’t stay healthy.  He tore his ACL in 2020, and 2021 (when he was the #3 back) was the last time he played a full season.

Lloyd had some fumbling issues in college, and needs to work on his ball security.

Vision is meh. He gets away with it because of his athleticism, but it raises concerns about if he can develop into a reliable back with a heavy workload. Some believe his ceiling is as an occasional “chunk-play” back. This concern is particularly heightened by a lack of urgency at USC, with Lance Zierlein being concerned that Lloyd might have gone a little bit backwards in his development and instincts.

Fit with the Packers:

Green Bay’s RB room is in a bit of a weird place. Aaron Jones is out, replaced as the top dog by free agent signing Josh Jacobs. AJ Dillon is back, but on an unusual contract that the Packers are not necessarily tied to. Emmanuel Wilson is a second year UDFA who may or may not be ready or able to step into a bigger role. Frankly, I have no idea if this group is a strength or not. Either way, however, it would be a good idea for the Packers to add some competition, and Lloyd should be up to the task. He actually reminds me a lot of Josh Jacobs; a bigger, one-cut type of back who can can catch the ball out of the backfield. What this means to me is that Lloyd would NOT be a change of a pace back in Green Bay—leave that to Wilson as a speedster or Dillon as a bruiser—but instead a stellar backup to Jacobs whose snaps don’t dictate different playcalls. Additionally, given the amount of capital Green Bay has in the first three rounds, they can allow to spend a little bit on strong developmental prospects, even at a non-premium position. I really, really like Lloyd and I think he would be a fantastic add in the 3rd round for the Packers, especially if they feel they’re able to coach out the fumbles and help him develop his vision.

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