Dillon Makes Backfield ‘Three-Headed Beast’

Second-round pick A.J. Dillon, a power-packed back from Boston College, could cure a fatal flaw in the offense.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Last season, Aaron Jones had a breakout season for the Green Bay Packers. However, while he broke 1,000 rushing yards and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns, there was a fatal flaw in Green Bay’s rushing attack.

Third-and-short.

With Jones and his trusty sidekick, Jamaal Williams, the Packers converted just 32.4 percent of the time on third-and-1 or third-and-2, according to STATS. For all of Jones’ fabulous traits, short-yardage battering ram is not among them.

Enter A.J. Dillon.

The Packers drafted the 247-pound workhorse from Boston College with their second-round draft pick on Friday night. His 1,692 rushing yards as a junior in 2019 and three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons will make the headlines but that’s hardly his most important numbers. According to Sports Info Solutions, Dillon ranked fourth in the nation by forcing 43 missed tackles and seventh with 943 rushing yards after contact.

“I like to help my team win,” Dillon said in a conference call. “Whether that’s running around people, through people, over people, I’m there to get it done.”

Dillon fancies himself as something more than an old-school bulldozer. And so did Mike Owen, the area scout who monitored Dillon for most of three years.

“Big back, can run inside, run outside, deceptive athlete, smooth, strong, powerful runner,” Owen said. “He’s got real good speed in the open field. For a big guy, you wouldn’t expect him to move that fast, but he can get out the gate now.”

Dillon rushed for 1,589 yards as a freshman, 1,137 yards as a sophomore and 1,692 yards as a junior. If not for an injured ankle that cost him a couple games in 2018, he might have surpassed 900 career carries rather than settling for “only” 849. Only Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor (926 carries) got the ball more often in this year’s draft class. Dillon, however, got a clean bill of health during his Combine medical checks.

“I think he’s obviously built to last, has had a lot of production over the last three years and proven that,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “We had Eddie Lacy here for a few years where he was that kind of back, and I think A.J. can do some similar things.”

What stands out is the startling athleticism on his frame. His 247 pounds covered 40 yards in 4.53 seconds at the Scouting Combine. He ranked No. 1 among this year’s backs in the vertical jump and broad jump. That makes Dillon a threat to move the chains on third-and-1 and again on first-and-10.

“There’s a bunch of great running backs out there but this kid, he’s a stud,” Owen said. “He’s got production, he’s got the size, he’s shown the athleticism. On tape, he’s a smooth, deceptive athlete, but he comes to the Combine, shows you his numbers. He’s a decisive runner, and for us in Green Bay, the weather only gets colder as you move along with the days and months, and that’s just a benefit for us to have a guy that’s that big as it gets colder to wear down defenses.”

With Jones and Williams, the Packers have one of the better backfields in the NFL. With Dillon, Owen sees the potential of a “three-headed beast” with Jones’ lightning and Dillon’s thunder. That will last for at least the 2020 season. After that, Jones and Williams will be free agents. Second-contract running backs rarely are worth the money, so having Dillon onboard could ensure a smooth transition if one or both of the veterans aren’t retained for 2021.

The one knock on Dillon is his 21 career receptions. That wasn’t his role in the Boston College offense, he said, and he said he’s capable of contributing as a three-down back. Based on his Combine workout, Gutekunst said he was “really attracted” to Dillon’s pass-catching potential.

“I’d say I’m for sure an all-purpose back, somebody who can everything – run the ball, catch and obviously protect the quarterback,” Dillon said. “I feel like I’m blessed with the size and strength that I do have so it’s definitely one of my strengths. So, my ability to do that and be able to move people and still have the speed that I do I feel like I can help the Packers a lot.”

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