Don't get me wrong, Dillon has the ability to break tackles once he gets to the second level. I wonder if he has the vision and ability to make cuts to have lineman miss to do it consistently though.
This hits the nail on the head--yards before contact. This is a function of the runner and his OL. There is a theory extant in some parts that the OL (along with the FB and TEs or even WRs on stretch runs, one presumes) that makes the runner, not the other way around. Common sense would say it is both, particularly when talking about zone blocking. Holes are made where the OL can make them; runners have to set them up, see them, and hit them.
If all anybody saw was Mostert and Breida who led the league in YBC among RBs with 100+ carriesaccording to profootballreference.com, one might conclude it's all about the blocking, getting guys clean to the second level with holes you could drive a truck through (as we saw with Mostert at the extreme).
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2019/rushing_advanced.htm
Conversely, Derek Henry's YBC ranked tied for 29th at 1.9 YBC. I think that's a bit misleading looking at the 100 or so plays in his 2019 highlights. There's a lot of reaching and diving at the line and second level with Henry redirecting, with no measure for the quality of contact, with a lot of defensive business decisions made at the third level. He ranked tied 17th. among 45 RBs in footballoutsiders "success rate" which suggests more than a few stuffs at the line bringing down the YBC. In this case, Henry is making his line look better than it is.
Williams ranked tied for 12th. at 2.5 YBC, Jones tied for 15th. 2.4 YBC. I think this is more the RBs than that OL which I would regard as a kind of average run blocking line, probably losing something in that regard this season unless LaFleur loads up with TEs which is probably going to be less than what the TEN-SF wannabes expect. If nobody has noticed Williams gradual improvement in his patience, the precursor to vision, they would not have been paying attention.
All in all, no running back in this league is going to be productive just running over guys, including his won lineman which Dillon's highlight tape shows. We can't say Henry is a wiggly runner with backside jump cuts; what he does show is a second cut and go, a twitchy knack for angles at the line getting guys reaching.
We await the Dillon results. In this league tree trunks are not enough. Maybe his BC line was so bad there were skills he couldn't show or schematically he was coached for one cut and barrel ahead. I believe that's wishful thinking with little evidence of patience in that college tape. I expect the early returns to be disappointing if he gets on the field much if at all in close games. 3rd. and 1! and hope he doesn't injure one of our guys. Patience is first, then you see if the vision follows.
