Boston College Football: AJ Dillon is still being overlooked at NFL level

The Packers surprised everyone by taking Boston College football’s AJ Dillon in the second round of the NFL draft, but his talent should not be slept on.

As much of a reach as it was, the Packers have several key contracts expiring after next season, including both of their star running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. Jones might be the odd man out here after his historic season and if he continues to improve. If they were to keep one of them, Williams might make more sense because not only would he be cheaper, but the Packers also have other key free agents like Kenny Clark and David Bahktiari.

AJ Dillon is going to become a quick fan favorite in Green Bay. He may not get as much attention his first season because of the successes of Jones and Williams, but Dillon will make a name for himself sooner rather than later.

Coming into the draft, Dillon made a strong showing at the combine, led the ACC in rushing in 2019 and was still overlooked by other running backs like Jonathan Taylor, D’Andre Swift, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and JK Dobbins. It’s understandable, but Dillon should have gotten more attention than he did at Boston College.

At 6-foot-0 and 250 pounds, Dillon is a poor man’s Derrick Henry who ran a 4.53 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, which is very impressive for his size. You pair him up with Jones or Williams and that’s an explosive force to be reckoned with.

In his three years at Boston College, Dillon racked up 4,382 yards and 38 touchdowns. Even though he was not very productive in the passing game in college, that will come with time, and the Packers still have other guys to help him learn his first year. This should not be a big reason to have him overlooked. Guys like Swift were not very efficient in the passing game either in college, but it will sometimes depend on how you are used in the offense.

Out of the top running backs in this draft, Dillon is one of the most impressive at keeping his balance throughout the run. He has been seen trucking through defenders and powering through guys that are on top of him. One of his most popular plays was in 2017 against Louisville when he threw current Packer Jaire Alexander to the ground.

The Green Bay Packers had a very surprising draft to say the least. However, the running back position needed to be addressed for them sooner rather than later. Dillon will be a great fit for the Green Bay Packers and they should be ecstatic about the future of their running back position.

Dillon is the future of the Green Bay Packers run game and he should not be overlooked by any means at the NFL level. He possesses almost every trait you want in a power back and is being put in a very good situation that will put him up for success for years to come.