Green Bay Packers running back Emanuel Wilson has been a standout player this NFL preseason.
The rookie with an extensive HBCU background is currently leading all NFL players in rushing after a pair of preseason contests.
Wilson has rushed for a league-high 174 yards in two games as the Green Bay Packers have played the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots. That’s 30 yards more than his closest competitor, Julius Chestnut of the Tennessee Titans. He’s averaging 8.3 yards per rush and has a pair of touchdowns.
Both of Wilson’s touchdowns came in his debut against the Bengals when he exploded for 111 yards on just six carries in his debut. Much of that came on an 80 yard run in the fourth quarter.
That’s not bad for a player that came into the league as an undrafted free agent for the Denver Broncos before getting cut following the rookie minicamp.
Emanuel Wilson spent his college career at two Division II HBCUs. He started out in his hometown of Charlotte, NC, suiting up for Johnson C. Smith. As a freshman in 2019 he accumulated 1,040 yards on 159 rushes for the 19th-best yard per carry average of 6.5 yards in the nation (D2) to go with his 13 touchdowns. Wilson also pulled in 13 passes for 86 yards for 1,126 yards of total offense on 172 touches of the football.
Emanuel Wilson decided to hit the transfer portal following his freshman season, landing at Fort Valley State (GA). The 2021 season showed he didn’t have any rust, as he rushed for 119 yards and one score per game in seven appearances. He showed up for the 2022 season on a mission, as he rushed for 1,371 yards, 17 TDs in just 10 games last season.
While many people don’t draw conclusions from the preseason, Wilson has shown a lot in his time with the Green Bay Packers. Should they decide not to keep him there will likely be many teams beating down the door to get him in their organization.