Tag: A.J. Dillon

Could A.J. Dillon help Packers’ struggles from the 1-yard line?

Rookie RB A.J. Dillon hasn’t been unleashed in 2020, but he could help the Packers solve a growing problem on offense.

The Green Bay Packers have struggled to score touchdowns from the 1-yard line.

The Packers also drafted a 247-pound running back who has yet to be unleashed as a rookie.

Could A.J. Dillon be the antidote to the Packers’ on-going issues scoring touchdowns from near the goal line?

According to Bill Huber of SI.com, the Packers rank 31st out of 32 NFL teams in touchdown conversion rate from the 1-yard line over the last two seasons, scoring touchdowns on just 32.0 percent of plays since hiring coach and playcaller Matt LaFleur.

The Packers have failed on three out of five opportunities on 4th-and-1 this season, including a stuffed run by both Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. Two of the failures came on fourth down from the 1-yard line, including a dropped throw to Davante Adams in the season opener and a stopped run from Williams against the Atlanta Falcons. Jones was stuffed near midfield in the fourth quarter of a tied game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3.

Last season, the Packers lost a game at home to the Philadelphia Eagles after failing twice deep in the scoring area.

The Packers have relied on Jones and Williams as the primary runners to start 2020, suggesting they’ll continue to get the majority of the opportunities at running back, especially in high-leverage situations like fourth down. Dillon, meanwhile, has played only 15 snaps and handled eight carries, most coming in garbage time of blowouts.

Maybe more Dillon could be the answer.

Dillon scored 38 touchdowns at Boston College, including seven from between 1-3 yards out. He’s big and physical and tough to get to the ground, making him a potential asset in short-yardage situations, especially if the Packers want to line up in heavy formations and run the ball without much pre-snap illusion.

Remember, no college running back ran against more 8-man boxes than Dillon last season. The Boston College offense revolved around giving him the ball, regardless of the defense. Dillon is well-versed at picking his way through traffic and finding openings, which should be valuable skills on short-yardage downs when defenses stack the box and commit extra resources up front to stopping the run.

Of course, teams will key on Dillon if he’s coming into the game in repetitive game situations, so the Packers would need to find ways of masking the obvious. It’s even possible the Packers could use Dillon as a decoy to set up other things.

There’s no faulting LaFleur for using Jones and Williams in these situations. They have different skill sets, but they’re proven runners who have earned the opportunities, regardless of down or situation. Jones is as quick to the line as any runner in football, and Williams runs with a boundless energy that is made for fighting for one yard.

Still, Dillon’s size and punishing running style also fit the job description. The Packers don’t have many areas to improve on offense after four games in 2020, but finally unleashing Dillon might help solve one such problem.

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Matt LaFleur ‘wouldn’t mind’ getting Packers rookie A.J. Dillon more carries

Packers rookie A.J. Dillon carried twice for 14 yards in his NFL debut Sunday. Matt LaFleur wants to give him more opportunities moving forward.

A.J. Dillon’s NFL debut on Sunday was a quiet one, but Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur is interested in increasing his role, potentially starting this week against the Detroit Lions.

Asked about the rotation at running back in Week 1, LaFleur said he regretted not getting Dillon a couple more chances.

“Definitely wouldn’t mind getting A.J. Dillon a few more carries,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “I thought he showed well in the game in limited action. I think he only had three snaps and two carries. But he’s a load.”

Dillon, the Packers’ second-round pick, carried twice for 14 yards, including an 8-yard run in the second half. Although LaFleur thought he played three snaps, the official gamebook had Dillon down for five snaps.

Aaron Jones (42 snaps) and Jamaal Williams (31 snaps) carried the load at running back. Together, the two combined for 31 touches and 118 total yards.

In Dillon, the Packers have a big, physical running back who could add another flavor to the run game each week, even if he’s not as advanced as a receiver or pass blocker at this point. At 247 pounds, Dillon could be hard to handle for a tired defense late in games.

LaFleur said he felt confident in all three of running backs, and his goal is to use all three to make the trio is healthy and fresh, both in-game and throughout the season.

“We know it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and we want to keep our backs fresh,” LaFleur said. “If we can keep them fresh, it definitely gives you an advantage going into the second half. We have to keep these guys healthy for the duration of the season.”

The Packers ran the ball 32 times for 158 yards and a touchdown in the season opener against the Vikings. They’ll head home to Lambeau Field to face the Lions, who allowed the Chicago Bears to rush for 149 yards on 29 carries in Week 1.

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Packers rookie RB A.J. Dillon wants to be more than just a ‘big back’

Packers rookie A.J. Dillon is a huge running back, but he doesn’t just want to be known as just another big back.

The gigantic size of Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon made a social media splash during the first week of training camp, but the 247-pound rookie wants to be much more than just another big back.

Dillon, the Packers’ second-round pick, believes he can be a complete player at the running back position.

“Something I’ve always harped on with myself, I’ve never want to be put into a ‘big back’ box. I can help out this team in any way. Legs, arms, hands, I’m trying to be complete in all aspects of my game,” Dillon said Thursday.

The Packers are banking on Dillon doing more in Matt LaFleur’s offense than just trying to bulldoze through potential tacklers with his tree-trunk legs and muscle-packed frame. To fully maximize his value, Dillon must prove capable of producing in the passing game and staying on the field for all three downs.

At Boston College, opportunities to make plays as a receiver were rare. The Packers still feel he has strong hands and the potential to be a factor out of the backfield in the passing game.

Through the first week of camp, Dillon has looked comfortable catching the football in positional drills while also creating a few big plays down the field in the passing game during 11-on-11 work. It’s a start.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said they’d keep throwing opportunities Dillon’s way to see how much he can handle as a receiver.

All along, the Packers have believed Dillon had underrated ability catching the ball.

Back in April, both GM Brian Gutekunst and college scout Mike Owen said they felt Dillon had much more to offer as a receiver than his collegiate stats – 21 catches in 35 career games – would otherwise indicate. In fact, Gutekunst went as far as to label Dillon as a “all-around back.”

“In our offense, there’s probably more room for his creativity than what he did at Boston College, and a lot more in the passing game,” Gutekunst said. “As we went through the process in the spring, his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield for a man his size was something – again, he didn’t do a lot of it at Boston College – but it was attractive to us.”

Getting better in pass pro is another hurdle all rookie running backs must clear. Dillon said he’s been steadily improving by learning from coach Ben Sirmans and watching the examples set by veterans Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. In time, Dillon should have the size and athleticism to be a blitz-stuffing blocker in the passing game.

If he can create big plays as a receiver and prove trustworthy in pass protection, Dillon will truly shed the stereotypical “big back” labels.

The Packers used a valuable pick on a running back in April. Dillon, despite his impressive size, doesn’t want to be a one-dimensional player. And the Packers need him to be much more.

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NFL fans are marveling at Packers’ A.J. Dillon’s enormous calves

You’ve got company, Saquon.

Does Saquon Barkley have some competition when it comes to the most sculpted tree-trunk legs in the NFL?

It’s possible. The legs in question belong to rookie running back A.J. Dillon, a 2020 second-round pick of the Green Bay Packers.

A photo of Dillon — 6 feet, 247 pounds — snapped during training camp has made the rounds and his quads are so huge that head coach Matt LaFleur said (via ESPN), “We have not seen a running back built like that — not in my career, that I’ve been around.”

They’re so big that, as many people pointed out, LaFleur forgets he coached another 247-pound running back in Tennessee: Derrick Henry.

Here’s the photo making the rounds:

And some reaction:

[jwplayer oMxvinMh-q2aasYxh]

Social media astonished by the size of Packers rookie RB A.J. Dillon

Rookie RB A.J Dillon – the 247-pounder – stole the show during the first day of Packers training camp.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers called him a “large man” and a “well-built guy.”

Coach Matt LaFleur said he’s never seen a running back built the same way.

Linebacker Christian Kirksey said he has “tree trunks” for legs.

Yes, Packers rookie running back A.J. Dillon pretty much stole the show during the team’s first training camp practice on Saturday.

Reporters at practice got the ball rolling, and social media did the rest, turning a couple of photos of Dillon’s massive frame into a viral sensation.

The 247-pound rookie running back sure looks the part:

Armed with the astonishing visuals of the rookie running back, Twitter had a field day:

Here are some more live shots of Dillon from the USA TODAY Network:

Mark Hoffman
Mark Hoffman

Remember, Dillon posted this flexing photo back in June. We should have seen this coming.

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What Packers fans should be excited for in 2020: Three-headed rushing attack

The Packers now have a three-headed running back group that could rival any in the NFL.

The Green Bay Packers shocked many in the football world during the 2020 season, bouncing back from back-to-back playoff-less seasons to win 13 games, capture the NFC North title and advance to the NFC title game during Matt LaFleur’s first season as coach.

Now, the Packers will go into the 2020 season with big expectations.

Over the next few days, we’ll run down a list of 10 different things Packers fans should be excited about as the 2020 season nears. The series rolls on with the running backs, a highly productive and talented group with a thundering new addition:

Dillon provides the thunder for diverse running back group

Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Packers running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams combined for 2,271 total yards and 26 total touchdowns during the 2019 regular season. Even after a highly productive season from the duo, coach Matt LaFleur made it clear he wanted a third option to help safeguard the position and prevent the pair from overuse during a long, grueling season.

Enter A.J. Dillon, the Packers’ second-round pick and a behemoth of a running back who will give LaFleur the complementary weapon he was looking for. The 247-pounder is an elite athlete, and he bowled his way through defenses during a record-setting college career at Boston College.

It’s unclear what kind of role Dillon will have during his rookie season. But given his incredible combination of size, power and tackle-breaking ability, it’s conceivable that Dillon could bring the thunder for the Packers offense in certain situations, including short-yardage opportunities and late in the year when the Wisconsin weather gets nasty and tackling anything gets exponentially more difficult.

Together, Jones, Williams and Dillon could give the Packers a capable back for any and all circumstances during an individual drive or game. Jones has ascended into the elite tier of runners, with his slashing style and incredible vision making him the ideal one-cut back and home-run hitter in the LaFleur offense. He’s a certified star. Williams, while more limited athletically, is ultra-reliable on any down, with the ability to run, catch and block. He’s rightfully earned the trust of everyone around him. Dillon could be the missing piece as a big, towering back who can power through crowded boxes or make defenses pay for playing light. He could be the hammer to the nail late in drives or late in games.

The Packers aren’t going to be run-first in 2020 but they will almost certainly be run-centric, with everything LaFleur wants to do schematically working off the zone run game. Dillon provides both another element to the run game and an attractive depth option should injury – a common factor for running backs – hit Jones or Williams.

As always, the Packers will only go as far as Aaron Rodgers and the passing game can take them in the modern game. But in Jones, Williams and Dillon, the Packers have a running back trio that could rival any in the game and help take LaFleur’s vision of the offense to another level.

What to be excited for series

Potentially perfect safety duo

Gary could really supercharge pass-rush

Check out Packers rookie A.J. Dillon’s ratings in ‘Madden NFL 21’

Packers RB A.J. Dillon will be a 72 overall in the new Madden game, but he’ll still be tough to bring down virtually.

Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon is the sixth-highest rated rookie running back in “Madden NFL 21,” the upcoming video game from EA Sports.

Dillon is rated a 72 overall, sitting him just behind J.K. Dobbins (75), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (74), DeAndre Swift (74), Cam Akers (73) and Jonathan Taylor (73) among the top rookie runners.

The Packers made Dillon, a record-breaking runner at Boston College, the 62nd overall pick in the 2020 draft.

Even at almost 250 pounds, Dillon has 88 speed and 87 acceleration. He also has 82 break tackle ability, 80 strength, 83 trucking, 89 jumping, 83 stiff arm ability, 92 carrying and 80 ball carrier vision, making him a potentially difficult player to get to the ground in the game. In fact, Dillon’s break tackle and trucking ratings are both the highest among the top rookie backs.

However, he has only 63 catching and 60 pass blocking, so he’ll have work to do virtually before he’s a real three-down back.

Dillon does have a high carrying rating – it’s the best among the rookies at running back – so players won’t have to worry about him putting the ball on the ground in “Madden NFL 21.”

As a rookie, Dillon will likely be a rotational player behind veterans Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. Jones, who scored 19 total touchdowns last season, is the sixth-highest rated running back. He’s a 90 overall.

Full ratings for all the rookie running backs can be found here.

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Watch: 5 best college plays from Packers rookie RB A.J. Dillon

PFF’s five highest-graded plays from Packers rookie RB A.J. Dillon show a tackle-breaking machine.

Five of the top plays from A.J. Dillon’s career at Boston College help show just how devastatingly effective the Green Bay Packers rookie running back can be as a tackle-breaking runner.

Pro Football Focus compiled Dillon’s five highest-graded plays from college, and all five show Dillon busting through a couple of tackles or creating yards out of nothing, often on his way to the end zone.

A 247-pound wrecking ball of a runner, Dillon finished the 2019 season with the third-most broken tackles and the second-highest overall run grade among running backs, according to PFF.

Dillon’s top plays include his 75-yard touchdown against Louisville, the highlight play of his college career. He rushed for 272 yards and four scores during a performance described as “superhuman” by his college coach.

The Packers used the 62nd overall pick on Dillon, who rushed for 4,382 yards and 38 touchdowns at Boston College. Both are school records. In 2019, he rushed for 1,685 yards and 14 scores, earning first-team All-ACC and third-team All-American honors.

Dillon is the Packers’ highest-drafted running back since Eddie Lacy, the 61st overall pick in the 2013 draft.

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Second-round pick A.J. Dillon signs rookie contract with Packers

A.J. Dillon, the Packers’ second-round pick, signed his rookie contract on Wednesday.

Running back A.J. Dillon has signed his rookie contract with the Green Bay Packers.

Dillon, the team’s second-round pick, announced the signing on social media Wednesday.

Dillon becomes the fifth Packers draft pick to sign a rookie deal, joining Jonathan Garvin, Vernon Scott, Simon Stepaniak and Jon Runyan. The Packers still need to sign Jordan Love, Josiah Deguara, Kamal Martin and Jake Hanson.

Dillon’s deal will be four years. Over the Cap estimates the contract for the 62nd overall pick to be worth almost $5.3 million, with a signing bonus of a little over $1.4 million and a cap hit in 2020 of a little over $960,000.

The four-year contract will keep Dillon in Green Bay through the 2023 season.

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Packers rookie RB A.J. Dillon is built like a bulldozer

Packers rookie RB A.J. Dillon is less bus and more bulldozer.

Long-time Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis – lovingly nicknamed “The Bus” – had an official playing weight of 252 pounds.

Sure he did.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer looked like this in 2006:

Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Bettis got his iconic nickname from carrying defenders around the field. But there’s a new type of bus parking at the station these days.

A.J. Dillon was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2020 draft. The rookie running back is listed by the Packers at 247 pounds, making him one of the heftiest running backs in football.

Here is what Dillon looks like:

Dillon is less bus and more bulldozer. Nearly 250 pounds, he is muscular and chiseled, a far cry from the portly appearance of Bettis, who rumbled his way to almost 14,000 rushing yards and 91 touchdowns during his 13-year NFL career.

At the combine, Dillon ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds and hit 41″ in the vertical jump and 10-11 in the broad jump, incredible numbers for a man of Dillon’s size.

Boston College coach Brian White told Mike Spofford of Packers.com that Dillon has just 5 percent body fat.

“It’s amazing, when you see him with his shirt off, he’s got this little skinny waist and these huge shoulders, and these legs of tree trunks that are beyond anything you’ve ever seen,” White told Spofford.

It’s hard to believe Dillon and former Packers running back Eddie Lacy – listed during his playing days at 5-11 and 253 pounds – are almost identical in size.

In fact, only Derrick Henry, the Tennessee Titans’ 247-pound shredder of a runner, truly compares to Dillon among active running backs.

One of Dillon’s collegiate teammates called him a “freak athlete.”

“People look at him and they say, ‘Oh, he must be slow. He can’t be that fast,’” Eddy Fish told Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. “But then when you watch him run, he’s very fluid. He’s fast and he is shifty. He can move as well as anybody that I’ve seen. He’s a freak athlete. I can’t stress that enough.”

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