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
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.