Green Bay Packers Were First Choice For All-American Running Back

Amar Johnson was a third-team All-American last year, and for good reason. He rushed for 1,222 yards, 14 touchdowns, and averaged a whopping 6.3 yards per carry. Additionally, he caught 30 passes for 233 yards and an additional score. The Green Bay Packers attended his Pro Day, and he really felt the love, so when he went undrafted, he knew the team that wanted to sign him.

“I just felt the love from them, really ever since my pro day. I know they reached out to a lot of my coaches, even my high school coach, during the predraft process and trying to get to know me that way. When my pro day came and I talked to Brett (Thiesen), one of the scouts, he was very high on me and saying how much he would love to have me at the Packers.

“Me and my agent (Blake Baratz) just felt the love was genuine from them, and it stayed like that the entire time. So, the whole draft, I was like, ‘Please don’t draft a running back,’ because they were telling me they wanted me before the draft. So, that was big, and I was just so happy to make it official finally and just hoped nobody else drafted me.”

The Green Bay Packers did not draft a running back, which made Johnson an easy signing. If he is able to impress in the offseason, he may not have a hard time breaking the depth chart.

Running Back Depth Chart

Josh Jacobs is the clear number one back for the Green Bay Packers. However, after that, the picture is unclear. MarShawn Lloyd missed basically all of his rookie season due to injuries. While the athletic profile is there, he hasn’t proven anything on the field yet. Outside of those two, Emmanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks are the only other running backs on the roster. Given Johnson’s skill set, he could easily find himself on the 53-man roster if he can outplay a few players.

Final Thoughts

The Packers had success with the last player from South Dakota State. Tight end Tucker Kraft has become a favorite target of Jordan Love, and he reunites with his former teammate. Green Bay has been turning heads with the undrafted free agent signings this week, and this is another one to keep track of.