Nick Saban says the Packers got a steal in the 2024 NFL Draft

According to the former Alabama head coach, running back MarShawn Lloyd was the second-best back in the 2024 class.

One of the benefits of Bill Belichick and Nick Saban retiring is that they are both contributing to NFL draft broadcasts this season. Saban, the seven-time national champion, went out of his way to praise one of the Green Bay Packers’ selections on Friday, just one day after Belichick stated that Arizona offensive lineman was a clear-cut left tackle in the NFL.

When the Packers turned in their first third-round pick of the night for Southern California running back MarShawn Lloyd, a transfer from South Carolina, Saban claimed that the back was the second-best running back he had evaluated in the 2024 draft class and that he would be a significant contributor in the passing game. Mind you, three other running backs had already heard their names called before Lloyd’s selection: Texas’ Jonathon Brooks (46th to the Carolina Panthers), Florida State’s Trey Benson (66th to the Arizona Cardinals) and Michigan’s Blake Corum (83rd overall to the Los Angeles Rams).

We can only assume that Saban’s favorite back was Brooks, who was drafted 20 picks before any other running back despite coming off of an ACL tear in 2023. Remember, Saban and Lloyd competed head-to-head in the Southeastern Conference before Lloyd wound up transferring to USC last season.

When asked about the comments by the Green Bay press, Lloyd responded, “I’m the best running back in the draft, for sure,” according to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. Clearly, the 220-pound back has some confidence behind him. On top of praise from Saban, Lloyd was also ranked as the top running back on NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah’s big board for the 2024 class, high praise from a respected evaluator.

Lloyd isn’t expected to overtake free agent signing Josh Jacobs in the backfield in 2024, but the team has stated time and time again that they view their backfield as a committee. Considering that the only player pushing Lloyd for the RB2 spot on the depth chart is AJ Dillon, who signed on for a one-year, $2.7 million contract, there’s a decent chance you’ll see a good amount of Lloyd as a rookie.