Now, the Packers have rounded up perhaps their deepest field since Ahman Green, Najeh Davenport, William Henderson, and the indomitable Tony Fisher completed the Green Bay depth chart in the early 2000s.
LaFleur’s vision fits a popular trend that permeates the entire NFL right now, with teams like Baltimore, San Francisco, and New England building their career games around three, four, and sometimes even five different running backs.
The Packers’ biggest move this offseason to deepen their backfield reserve was recruiting AJ Dillon of Boston College in the second round (62 overall) in April. The stock of the 6-foot, 247-pound runner’s recruits increased after he logged an impressive 4.53 seconds on the 40-yard dash in Indianapolis to pair with a 40-inch vertical jump and 23 225-pound bench press reps. .
Also, Dillon carries his weight well. Her college position coach Brian White said Dillon had just 5 percent body fat during spring testing before last season.
On paper, Dillon’s north-south running style makes him ideal for LaFleur’s scheme and gives Green Bay a forceful and forceful power that the offense hasn’t possessed since Eddie Lacy.
Although he was unable to train at Lambeau Field due to league rules, Dillon still trained at Green Bay for part of his offseason. Until now, you’ve been saying all the right things in the meeting room.
“It was great,” said Jones. “He is texting me trying to decipher the playbook as quickly as possible so I can decipher it. He is ready to learn. He is hungry. I am excited to work with him and help him as much as possible.”
On the opposite side of the spectrum, the Packers re-signed 5-foot-10, 192-pound running back Tyler Ervin in March. A Jacksonville end-of-season exemption claim, the fifth-year veteran sparked Green Bay’s return units on the way to earning a handful of offensive snapshots. He collected 21 yards in three touches.
The Packers also bring back 2019 sixth round pick Dexter Williams and the rest of the Damarea Crockett practice team. That depth is not only good in an emergency, but it also gives Packers half a dozen runners with very different running styles, body types, and individual strengths.
