Aaron Jones

Jones missed four games for a second consecutive season last year, once again looking like the Packers' most dangerous runner when he was healthy. The seven-game stretch after Green Bay's Week 7 bye highlighted his potential. Despite not getting more than 17 carries in any of those games as part of an offense still firmly in Aaron Rodgers' hands, Jones produced 5.5 YPC and scored seven rushing TDs while averaging 76 yards per game. His most impressive trait as a runner might be sheer stubbornness. The Texas-El Paso product has enough power and balance to survive first contact and enough speed to exploit the space he finds on the other side of it. Jones rarely dances around when he senses there are yards to be gained --- his rushing efficiency (the percentage of his running that was actually forward rather than sideline-to-sideline or backward) ranked sixth in the league. He'll head into the season firmly atop the Packers' depth chart, and while new coach Matt LaFleur has a quarterback-friendly reputation, his resume includes systems that made stars of running backs as well. Assuming he doesn't miss a quarter of the season again, Jones should see a significant workload as the team tries to keep its aging franchise quarterback upright

The Packers backfield was a merry-go-round in 2017, with one player after another getting a shot at the lead role before disappearing around the bend. Jones got his chance Week 4 and seemed to be the answer, rushing for 346 yards and three TDs with 5.6 YPC over the next four games. Aaron Rodgers' broken clavicle during that stretch brought the entire offense to a grinding halt, and Jones suffered a knee injury Week 10 that limited him in the second half. At 5-9, 208, the UTEP product doesn't have breakaway speed (4.56 40), but his low center of gravity and balance make him difficult to bring down. Just as he did in college, he showed a penchant for big plays last season, with six runs of 20 yards or more on 81 carries. He also drew some praise for his pass blocking but didn't get many chances as a receiver. An October arrest led to a two-game suspension to start this season, so Jamaal Williams and Ty Montgomery will fight for touches Weeks 1 and 2. Jones will be available Week 3, but there's no guarantee he returns to a sizable role.

Jones joins a Packers backfield in need of depth behind Ty Montgomery after both Eddie Lacy and James Starks left in the offseason. The 5-9, 208-pound spark plug put together an impressive athletic performance at the Combine that backed up his reputation as a big-play threat for Texas-El Paso after he broke a run of 40-plus yards in eight different games last season. Jones was also used heavily in the passing game, catching 67 balls in 26 games over his final three years, although he doesn't appear to be an instinctive receiver. A physical runner, he's more inclined to try and break tackles than avoid defenders, a trait that could serve him well as a short-yardage and goal-line complement to Montgomery and allow him to thrive in a Packers system that got the most out of players like Starks.