The Green Bay Packers might have one of the NFL’s best tandems at running back in Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, but the competition to win a roster spot behind Jones and Dillon should be an intriguing one to start training camp and the preseason.

Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans said the battle to be the No. 3 running back is “wide open” and won’t be decided until real football begins later this summer.

“All those guys are well aware there’s an opportunity sitting there,” Sirmans said last week.

Gone is Jamaal Williams, opening the door for Dillon – last year’s No. 3 running back – to be the complementary player to Jones in the Packers backfield and creating the opportunity for a young player to step up and win a spot on the 53-man roster as the new No. 3.

The Packers took Kylin Hill out of Mississippi State in the seventh round of the draft, but he’ll have to compete with 2019 sixth-round pick Dexter Williams and roster holdovers Mike Weber and Patrick Taylor to get the job as the third running back in 2021.

Hill and Williams were both exceedingly talented runners in college, but playing running back in the NFL requires a versatile skill set and winning the trust of the coaching staff, plus the ability to chip in on special teams.

Talent alone won’t be enough.

“It’s how productive are you when you’re in the game,” Sirmans said. “That’s not only running the ball, it’s catching the ball, it’s how you are in protection, can we trust you in a game to do the right thing. So it’s all those facets that kind of make up our decision.”

As recently as 2020, Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he prefers having three capable running backs available to help survive the marathon of an NFL season. General manager Brian Gutekunst heeded the call, taking Dillon in the second round last season to build out the position, both in the short term and long term. Adding an extra game to the regular season only increases the need for quality depth at all positions, but that’s especially true at running back where the hits pile up and injuries happen often.

Even one injury to either Jones or Dillon could put the No. 3 running back into the spotlight.

One thing to note: Sirmans, an experienced running backs coach, has a terrific track record of developing the position. It’s possible this is the year it all finally clicks for Williams, or maybe Sirmans can push Hill to be a rookie capable of contributing right away.

The Packers will go into the summer with talented options down the running back depth chart but also a need to identify the right player to team with Jones and Dillon in 2021.