A beaming smile crossed the face of Edgar Bennett when the question was posed to him.Does rookie running back Kregg Lumpkin remind you of anybody?The Green Bay Packers running backs coach began to answer but stopped abruptly."Yeah he does," Bennett said, "but I don't really want to say right now. At some point, we'll talk about that."Suffice to say, it's someone pretty good.The Packers kept the undrafted free agent from Georgia for good reason, it appears. Lumpkin beat out proven veterans Noah Herron and Vernand Morency for the No. 3 running spot and already has carved out a role for himself. A week after he was active but did not play in the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, there was Lumpkin on the field during the Packers' second offensive series on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. On the third play of the series, Lumpkin lined up as the lone back in a three-receiver set with one tight end. The play was a fake-reverse and a dump-off pass to Lumpkin. He gained only 2 yards, but it was a play specifically designed for him. That coach Mike McCarthy made that call so early in the game spoke volumes about his trust in Lumpkin.Lumpkin went on to play just nine snaps, including two kneel-downs at the end, but he took advantage of his limited opportunities. On his lone carry, he ripped off a 19-yard gain by finding a hole between left tackle Chad Clifton and left guard Daryn Colledge and following fullback John Kuhn. On that play, Lumpkin showed the savvy of a veteran by quickly understanding how quarterback Aaron Rodgers changed the call at the line of scrimmage."Originally that play was designed to go the other way, and they overloaded the front one way so it was an excellent decision by Aaron to switch the direction of the play," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "Kregg just did his job. He stayed on his aiming point. We had pretty good blocking by the line, we mugged up the linebacker and he hit the hole hard and got a couple extra yards after contact."Lumpkin also caught three passes for 22 yards, including a 12-yarder on a second-quarter screen."He can perform in all the situations," Bennett said. "He does a good job with the pass protection, the run game obviously and he has good hands out of the backfield. This kid is coming on. Every time he's gotten an opportunity, he's made the most of it."Though McCarthy typically does not discuss playing-time specifics, he did not hesitate when asked if Lumpkin had earned more opportunities."Absolutely," McCarthy said. "I can't say enough about him. I feel like I say the same thing every time you ask about Kregg Lumpkin, but he has taken advantage of every opportunity he has been given here. He had a plus performance in the opportunities he had. He's physical. He was involved in some special-teams snaps that he was physical. There are some technical things that he can learn from, and he'll improve on. I definitely felt he improved on an individual basis, and he contributed, and I feel very comfortable going with all three running backs."Lumpkin's workload increased in practice last week, when starter Ryan Grant and top backup Brandon Jackson both missed time due to injuries. Grant remains slowed by a hamstring injury that limited his effectiveness against the Lions. He gained only 20 yards on 15 carries and for the second straight game gave way to Jackson late in the game. Jackson, who sustained a concussion in Week 1 against the Vikings, gained 61 yards on seven carries against the Lions.Seemingly a long shot to make the team when the Packers gave him a $4,000 signing bonus after the draft, Lumpkin seemed determined to make up for a disappointing college career. When he signed with Georgia out of high school, scouts rated him as one of the top-five running back prospects in the country. Injuries derailed his college career. After playing in 12 games as a true freshman, he missed his sophomore season in 2004 due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He returned as a backup in 2005 but finally won the starting job in 2006, when he led the team with 798 yards. As a senior last year, he played in only five games before thumb and knee injuries ended his season, which likely caused him to go undrafted."In the spring, sometimes it's hard to tell where a guy's at when he doesn't have pads on," Philbin said. "You give them the runs and expose them to the offense, but you don't really know what you have in a running back in the spring. So he came back in camp, and he's got a good grasp of what we're looking to do. He's not a dancer, which I think helps him here in what we do. This isn't that hard of a game. If he can make some yards in a game, you keep feeding him a little bit, and I think he has a chance."The Packers' No. 3 running backs in recent years haven't been all that productive, but Lumpkin has a chance to change that. The 5-foot-11 and 228-pounder appears to be a quick learner. Early in camp, Bennett harped on Lumpkin about his pad level, and he almost immediately corrected it."The kid has a great attitude," Bennett said. "That's maybe his strongest attribute – his attitude. That's what shows up the most. It's going to be interesting to see how he continues to grow. He's just got to continue to improve."Perhaps then Bennett will make his comparison public.
For a full-time Ryan Grant owner, part-time Brandon Jackson owner.
i don't think anyone saying BJ was bad yesterday watched the game.Lumpkin looked solid in limited duty as well.Grant on the other hand...we'll let's just say he's lucky he got a new contract before the season.
Lumpkin is a true one speed, one cut runner. He knows how to run behind his pads and is an all out effort guy. His vision needs a little work because he can sometimes outrun his blocks, but this preseason he showed improvement in that area. No wiggle, but he is a power back that will wear down a defense.showed soft hands at Georgia and natural ball catching ability (arms extended - away from body). With Grant being gimpy and Jackson being, well, Brandon Jackson I'm getting Lumpkin and stashing him in my dynasty leagues.of course, I do have a soft spot for Georgia RBs in the pros. 
I remember his name from a pre-draft audible podcast where you were talking him up.
