Aaron Jones

The specter of decline hovers around Jones as age 30 approaches in December -- and durability has been a challenge for him throughout his career -- but when Jones was fully healthy in 2023 he once again was one of the league's most explosive runners. When he finally shook a hamstring injury from Week 1 and an MCL sprain from Week 11 -- both of which caused Jones to miss multiple games and limited him in others -- he finished his time in Green Bay in style by torching each of his last five opponents (including playoffs) for more than 100 rushing yards. Going from Green Bay to Minnesota is likely a downgrade for fantasy given that former Vikings QB Kirk Cousins left for Atlanta, though Jones might actually play more snaps than he did for the Packers. The Vikings have weak options behind him, including Ty Chandler as the likely No. 2 back, and coach Kevin O'Connell might prioritize the run game a bit more than usual this year with Sam Darnold replacing Cousins under center.

The days of Jones ranking among the touchdown leaders are likely gone and his RB1 fantasy utility with them, but he's still a dangerous real-life player and could stay in RB2 range even with QB Aaron Rodgers in New York and AJ Dillon taking a lot of carries. While there's an element of uncertainty with QB Jordan Love taking over, one of the possibilities is a run-heavy offense that allows Jones and Dillon to combine for even more touches than last year's 486 (both played 17 games). Even in a down year for the Packers offense, Jones averaged 5.3 yards per carry over 213 attempts last season -- an efficiency/volume threshold that you simply do not reach unless you're good. Jones reached that mark without a carry over 40 yards, the first time in his six-year career he didn't have one. There were otherwise no signs of decline, with Jones recording career highs for rushing yards (1,121) and receptions (59) while scoring five of his seven TDs through the air (Dillon had a 10-2 advantage in carries inside the 5-yard line). The 28-year-old has aged gracefully so far, aided by the Packers keeping his workloads south of 300 touches every season.

Jones entered last season firmly atop the depth chart in Green Bay ahead of AJ Dillon, but by the end of 2021 the duo found themselves in a timeshare. It was a productive arrangement, as both backs finished with more than 1,100 scrimmage yards and combined for 17 total touchdowns, though in Jones' case those numbers represented a big step back from his prior two campaigns. The 27-year-old offers a different athletic package than Dillon, as his main assets are elusiveness and speed rather than pure power and size, but they're both capable as pass catchers and blockers, which makes them fairly interchangeable in the Packers' scheme. Jones also wasn't quite as dangerous with the ball in his hands last year. After finishing second in the league in yards after contact per carry in 2020 at 2.9, he fell back to 12th at 2.3 in 2021. While the two backs aren't likely to have a drastically different workload split in 2022 with offensive line coach Adam Stenovich taking over as offensive coordinator from Nathaniel Hackett, it is possible the Packers become more dependent on their backfield overall after losing WRs Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling and replacing them with Sammy Watkins and second-round pick Christian Watson. That could mean more run plays, or more passes to the running backs, which would bode especially well for Jones after he set career highs in receptions and TD catches last year.

Jones put together another excellent season in 2020 despite missing a couple games with a calf strain, setting a career high in rushing yards while hitting 5.5 yards per carry for the third time in four years. Strong in all areas of the game, the 26-year-old runs with power and purpose and possesses the agility and speed to turn any opening into a big gain, or simply create his own yards (he finished second among RBs in average yards after contact). Jones is also a solid pass catcher and pass protector, which has earned him Aaron Rodgers' trust. After signing a four-year deal this offseason to return to Green Bay, Jones could be poised to take on a larger role in the backfield, as fellow free-agent Jamaal Williams joined the Lions. Williams was a jack-of-all-trades who could handle snaps in every situation, while Jones' new backup, 2020 second-round pick AJ Dillon, is better suited for early downs and short-yardage work. That change in the Packers' backfield mix, plus Rodgers' tendency to look for Davante Adams at the goal line, puts one more obstacle in the way of Jones returning to double-digit rushing touchdowns, but it could also mean more work in the passing game.

Jones finally avoided the injury bug in 2019, and the result was a breakout campaign that saw him tie Derrick Henry for the league lead in rushing TDs with 16. At 5-9, 208, Jones doesn't have truly elite traits as a runner, but his power, speed and balance are above average and allow him to survive first contact and keep going. Last year, Jones ranked second in broken tackle rate (one for every 7.4 carries), a huge increase from 2018 (41st, one for every 22.2 carries). He's also become an asset as a receiver, setting career highs in targets, catches and receiving yards last year, with his 7.0 YPT ranking fifth among 19 running backs with at least 50 targets. With Aaron Rodgers still efficient but slipping into the twilight of his career, Matt LaFleur's offense will continue to find ways to get the ball out of the quarterback's hand quickly while also prioritizing the run game. Jones remains the clear centerpiece of that rushing attack, but the Packers also seem to be fond of Jamaal Williams, and they just used a second-round pick on 247-pound bruiser AJ Dillon. Already a leading candidate for negative TD regression, Jones could take an especially huge hit if Dillon gets some of the goal-line carries.

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.