Green Bay Packers running back Emanuel Wilson (23) looks for room against the New York Giants on Nov. 16.
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Emanuel Wilson hasn’t started a football game since he was a redshirt junior at Fort Valley State in 2022.
That will change today.
Wilson, a third-year running back for the Green Bay Packers, will make his first NFL start as preferred starter Josh Jacobs will be inactive against Minnesota due to a knee injury.
“Yeah, it’s been since college,” Wilson said last week of being the No. 1 running back. “I haven’t really thought about it. I just need to go out there and do my job. … I’ll just be ready to go.”
Wilson had just 14 carries during his rookie year in 2023. He has been a reliable backup to Jacobs the last two seasons, though.
Last season, Wilson ran for 502 yards on 103 carries (4.9 average) and scored four touchdowns. He also had 11 receptions and a receiving touchdown.
This season, Wilson has 220 rushing yards on 53 carries (4.2) and 11 receptions through 10 games. When Jacobs left Green Bay’s 27-20 win at the New York Giants on Nov. 16, Wilson carried 11 times for 40 yards and a TD, and added one catch for nine yards.
“There was a lot to learn coming from where he came from to where he is now,” Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur said of Wilson. “But I think he’s embraced that, he’s embraced the challenge, and then he’s maximized his opportunities.”
Wilson grew up in Charlotte, NC, played at North Mecklenberg High School and began his collegiate career at Division II Johnson C. Smith University in North Carolina.
After a redshirt season and a big freshman year (1,040 yards, 13 TDs) at JCSU, Wilson transferred to Division II Fort Valley State in Georgia. Wilson ran for 835 yards in 2021, then had a huge 2022 season where he had 1,371 rushing yards, 239 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns.
Wilson participated in Fort Valley State’s pro day ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds, posted a vertical jump of 34.5 inches and had a 10-foot broad jump.
Wilson went undrafted in 2023, had a brief stop in Denver, then signed with Green Bay on May 22. Wilson then had a big training camp and surprised many by making the Packers’ 53-man roster.
Wilson was the No. 3 back behind Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon in 2023, then moved up to No. 2 in 2024 behind Jacobs and ran with the opportunity.
“I just believe in myself more, so I got more confidence now than like my rookie year,” Wilson said. “To now, it’s a huge difference. I mean, y’all guys can go watch film to see how I play differently now. I just feel good.”
The Packers are hopeful Jacobs will be able to play Thursday when they travel to Detroit.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robreischel/2025/11/23/green-bay-packers-running-back-emanuel-wilson-ready-to-make-first-nfl-start/
