2020 Packers 2nd round pick: AJ Dillon, RB

[GreenNGold_81]

I liked my first post on him. If I was in the draft room he was a slam the fists on the table kind of player for me. I am bias as BC is the best college football I have around me and know Dillion well. I think he was a week 1 RB1 on some teams and RB2 on every other team, besides GB. They drafted him knowing Jones and/or Williams would not be on the roster in 2021, and wanted to rest him as much as possible in 2020 as he came off of a career in BC where (with no stats to back it up) he was featured on 65% of the offense for 3 years straight. He will make a career out of making people miss, I believe he was responsible for 9 missed tackles by the Titans defense yesterday. A player to be excited about, especially if we are sad to see Jones get paid a 70mil contract to play for the jets next year.

It was awesome watching him go, kinda reminded me of good Lacy. Hopefully, he has more of a head on his shoulders.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

They drafted him knowing Jones and/or Williams would not be on the roster in 2021

This being a very key point. If I had to guess, RB was on Gutes Draft charts due to the Jones and Williams situation, but I doubt it was 2nd round high on is chart, until he saw Dillon still sitting there at #62. Knowing how much resigning Jones might be, a 2nd round investment in a guy the Packers loved, was probably deemed a no brainer. Also, at the time I don't think teams were probably aware of the cap being drastically reduced due to COVID. So this Dillon could have been viewed as Williams replacement as well.

I absolutely love Aaron Jones, but with the cap situation being as it is, I think Dillon may have just made the decision for the Packers a lot easier when it comes to giving Jones a huge contract.

Besides his running, what really impressed me last night was Dillon's ability to catch the ball. One of his 2 catches was negated by a defensive penalty, but with both catches, he showed good focus and hands.

 

[RepStar15]

It was awesome watching him go, kinda reminded me of good Lacy. Hopefully, he has more of a head on his shoulders.

While I think Lacy had better field awareness in his rookie year, AJ Dillion is more focused than Lacey ever was. Do not worry Pack Fam...he will not get fat on us.

 

[Dillion's_thighs]

Im just starting. I have a lot to prove.

 

[Poppa San]

Im just starting. I have a lot to prove.

If you plan on naming yourself after a player, wouldn't it be wise to spell said player's name correctly? Or is Dillion meaningful in some way that I am unaware of? If you want to call him a lion, I prefer deLion or something. His roar is his running style.

 

[longtimefan]

If you plan on naming yourself after a player, wouldn't it be wise to spell said player's name correctly? Or is Dillion meaningful in some way that I am unaware of? If you want to call him a lion, I prefer deLion or something. His roar is his running style.

He is an idiot and cant spell

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

If you plan on naming yourself after a player, wouldn't it be wise to spell said player's name correctly? Or is Dillion meaningful in some way that I am unaware of? If you want to call him a lion, I prefer deLion or something. His roar is his running style.

Some people, you can tell them a Dillion times and they still get it wrong.

 

[Dantés]

Can't wait for when he fixes it and we get "Dillon's_thigs"

 

[Favre>Rodgers259]

It's not that I don't like Dillon, I just don't like the pick. We could have built the OL/DL, and drafted a RB in 2021. Although, and if this is the case I give Gute credit for being smarter than me....this RB class is VERY shallow. But you can't convince me that Chuba Hubbard from Oklahoma State wouldn't be there for the taking, even if we had to trade up to get him. Hell, I'd get excited if Gute did use the extra 4th or 5th we had to get back into the 1st Round (if we don't win the SB) to get Najee Harris from Alabama.

But while Dillon did have a nice game last night, one game isn't enough to convince me he's the back of the future. We played a team in the snow who wasn't ready to play in the snow and to add to that handicap Dillon hails from Boston College, he was in his natural environment to say the least. I need to see more.

 

[easyk83]

It's possible that Dillon's_thighs was already taken.

 

[RepStar15]

It's not that I don't like Dillon, I just don't like the pick. We could have built the OL/DL, and drafted a RB in 2021. Although, and if this is the case I give Gute credit for being smarter than me....this RB class is VERY shallow. But you can't convince me that Chuba Hubbard from Oklahoma State wouldn't be there for the taking, even if we had to trade up to get him. Hell, I'd get excited if Gute did use the extra 4th or 5th we had to get back into the 1st Round (if we don't win the SB) to get Najee Harris from Alabama.

But while Dillon did have a nice game last night, one game isn't enough to convince me he's the back of the future. We played a team in the snow who wasn't ready to play in the snow and to add to that handicap Dillon hails from Boston College, he was in his natural environment to say the least. I need to see more.

Makes sense, but it is no secret that MLF offense can be tough to pick up, relying on potentially two starting rookies in 2021 could be a nightmare. If Dillon was the guy they like, take him at the end of the second round.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Makes sense, but it is no secret that MLF offense can be tough to pick up, relying on potentially two starting rookies in 2021 could be a nightmare. If Dillon was the guy they like, take him at the end of the second round.

Agreed. I totally understand the method to the madness when you have both Williams and Jones in contract years. Gute probably had a big board of RB's, with Dillon squarely at the top of it. Might have originally been viewed as a replacement for Williams, but with how COVID effected the Cap, might be the guy to allow the Packers to let Jones walk and keep Williams. Right now Jones is by far the best player of the 3, but $14M can go a long ways to improve other aspects of the team.

Anyone think the Packers might franchise tag Jones? I saw the projected tag would be around $10.805 M

 

[RepStar15]

Agreed. I totally understand the method to the madness when you have both Williams and Jones in contract years. Gute probably had a big board of RB's, with Dillon squarely at the top of it. Might have originally been viewed as a replacement for Williams, but with how COVID effected the Cap, might be the guy to allow the Packers to let Jones walk and keep Williams. Right now Jones is by far the best player of the 3, but $14M can go a long ways to improve other aspects of the team.

Anyone think the Packers might franchise tag Jones? I saw the projected tag would be around $10.805 M

They would have to do a lot of cap work to make that a reality. They are projected to be somewhere in the range of 20 million over the cap next year. Expect Preston Smith and Kirksey to be gone, and potentially Adams, Rodgers and/or Z restructured

 

[Poppa San]

It's possible that Dillon's_thighs was already taken.

If it is, I can't find it.

 

[longtimefan]

Can't wait for when he fixes it and we get "Dillon's_thigs"

Who?

 

[tynimiller]

It's not that I don't like Dillon, I just don't like the pick. We could have built the OL/DL, and drafted a RB in 2021. Although, and if this is the case I give Gute credit for being smarter than me....this RB class is VERY shallow. But you can't convince me that Chuba Hubbard from Oklahoma State wouldn't be there for the taking, even if we had to trade up to get him. Hell, I'd get excited if Gute did use the extra 4th or 5th we had to get back into the 1st Round (if we don't win the SB) to get Najee Harris from Alabama.

But while Dillon did have a nice game last night, one game isn't enough to convince me he's the back of the future. We played a team in the snow who wasn't ready to play in the snow and to add to that handicap Dillon hails from Boston College, he was in his natural environment to say the least. I need to see more.

It'll take much more than a 4th or 5th to get back into the 1st. As I dig into the draft I believe there to be some serious depth in it overall, but IMO some positions are very shallow - it's like either DEEP or shallow this year in positions.

RB is one such position to the untrained eye it appears a lot less late round guys will be there that I feel great about. However, that doesn't mean there are one style type guys that won't be there.

 

[easyk83]

If it is, I can't find it.

Well then perhaps the name is a reference to Dillion Harper's thighs.

 

[longtimefan]

It's possible that Dillon's_thighs was already taken.

That’s available..

 

[easyk83]

I've become a bit of a Dillon homer and I said repeatedly that I think his fit into the offense and the matchups problems that he creates could take this offense to another level. He is after all a powerfully built 250 pound bull with Earl Campbell legs who runs a 4.5 40 with nimble feet, a very good jump cut and the traits that make a big fast man surprisingly hard to wrap up.

His catching out the backfield, small sample size but he's been good at it so far.

Pass blocking, he looked pretty damned good doing it against Tampa Bay. Larry McCarren's the Rock Report has a good breakdown of his blocking. AJ is a naturally smart back who sees the field well and plays with his head and uses very good technique when picking up pass rushers. AJ isn't the kind of pesky back who looks to slow down or trip up a would be blitzer but to physically beat them. When Devin White came inside on a rush Dillon met him up close in the hole, flushed close to his line and actually started to push White back out of the hole.

The second block involves Barrett, AJ didn't just help out but pretty much blasted him in the upper body and stopped him in his tracks. Obviously the embed wont work but click on the link itself. Frankly, there are things that AJ can do that most backs simply cannot.

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[tynimiller]

Everyone knows and many hatefully pegged me a Dillon apologist, but I declared him an excellent pick (albeit earlier than I had him ranked) and one WITH VERY CAPABLE RECEIVING CHOPS - that just wasn't part of BC's offense.

 

[easyk83]

Everyone knows and many hatefully pegged me a Dillon apologist, but I declared him an excellent pick (albeit earlier than I had him ranked) and one WITH VERY CAPABLE RECEIVING CHOPS - that just wasn't part of BC's offense.

What'd you think of his help block on Barrett?

 

[tynimiller]

What'd you think of his help block on Barrett?

I noticed that SOB do that when it happened. Honestly, deciphering and picking up blitzes was the biggest "issue" he had and he has come a LONG way to illustrate "Hey, everyone I can do that too."

 

[Poppa San]

His catching out the backfield, small sample size but he's been good at it so far.

I've noticed many bobbles before he secures the passes. He's just so open he has the time. I expect that to improve. We need another like him drafted this season to let both Jones and Williams to hit the streets.

 

[easyk83]

I've noticed many bobbles before he secures the passes. He's just so open he has the time. I expect that to improve. We need another like him drafted this season to let both Jones and Williams to hit the streets.

I'd like to keep Williams, partly for his production, the likely cost and that he seems like a glue guy. Jones will be too costly to keep, and I would like to see a different kind of back drafted. A Tyler Ervin upgrade, with the speed to rip off homeruns once a defense is tenderized and beat up by Dillon and Co. Someone who can be a consistent weapon on jet sweeps.

 

[RepStar15]

May be unpopular but this was one of my slam fists on the table guys. I thought he would fall to the 3rd, and would have preferred to take him in the third, but if he was taken he would likely have gone to an NFC North team. Watch the film on this kid guys. I live near Boston and goto many BC games. This kid is an absolute beast. A freakish athlete. I promise he will not be a bust. Week 1 he is RB2, and honestly is such a different kind of back to Aaron Jones we may be unsure if he is RB1 or RB2 by the end of the year. AJ Dillion gives the packers the best backfield in the NFL. I never feel confident in making any kind of prediction...I am confident about this.

Just wanted to circle back to this. Maybe I was a year late, but can we give the man some well deserved love. Dillon has been on my stud list in every game he has been featured. The 1-2 punch of Jones and Dillon could be the best in the NFL.