With Josh Jacobs, AJ Dillon, and even Emanuel Wilson, the Green Bay Packers have constructed a bigger and more physical backfield at the running back position this offseason.
At the NFL Combine, GM Brian Gutekunst mentioned wanting a “bigger back” on the roster at running back, specifically for short-yardage situations, colder weather, and for closing out games.
At 6-0 and 247 pounds, Dillon certainly fits that mold, and we’ve oftentimes seen the value that size of his brings during the latter portion of the season when the temperature in Green Bay drops.
With Dillon, he averaged only 3.4 yards per carry last season and, even with his size, wasn’t all that difficult to bring down, ranking 42nd out of 59 running backs in average yards after contact. This, in part, is why he’s back on such a low-commitment contract from the Packers’ perspective.
But with that said, Dillon has routinely been a much more effective runner in the final months of the NFL season versus the first few. Since 2020, Dillon is averaging 3.9 yards per rush in September and October, but 4.4 yards per attempt in November and December.
“I think we all can see it and the results kind of speak for themselves,” Matt LaFleur said following the Packers win over Kansas City. “Over the last couple years, he’s been pretty effective later in the season.”
Jacobs isn’t Dillon’s size, but at 5-10 and 223 pounds, he brings a physical running style to the Packers’ backfield. Part of what makes Jacobs such a successful running back is his ability to make defenders miss in a few different ways. This includes using his burst and agility, but he’s also very willing to run through defenders as well.
During Jacobs’ All-Pro 2022 season, he led all running backs in missed tackles forced with 90, and he averaged the 11th most yards after contact, according to PFF. All that, of course, contributed to Jacobs generating the second-most explosive runs of 10-plus yards.
“I think contact balance, man,” said Jacobs when asked about his ability to force missed tackles. “Understanding angles, understanding how the body moves, stuff like that, like if I’m coming at an angle, I look at the way guys shoulders … their momentum is taking ‘em and I kinda try to use it against em.
“I look at football kinda like chess, especially because the defender’s gotta react to me because I’m an offensive player and so I just kinda try to play mind games, whether I might run you over one play or make you miss the next. That’s kinda like what I get into.”
Wilson, who will be competing with Dillon and potentially a rookie for that second running back role this summer, is also listed at 5-11 and 226 pounds.
Even with Gutekunst’s comments at the combing about the type of running back he wanted on the roster, I tend to think the current construction of the position group, with bigger, more physical backs, is a bit of a coincidence.
Jacobs is still just 26 years old and was one of the top running backs available in free agency–not to mention that he can make defenders miss a few different ways. Physicality is a part of his game, but it’s not all he has to lean on either.
With Dillon, the price was right. The Packers were able to bring back an experienced player who knows the offense and fits the mold of the type of back Gutekunst wanted on the roster. However, with a cap hit of only $1.29 million if on the roster and a dead cap hit of just $167,500 if he’s released, there is very little financial commitment on the Packers’ end.
Wilson, meanwhile, was always going to be on the 90-man roster as an exclusive rights free agent, who the Packers clearly think highly of after he made the 53-man roster last offseason.
At a position that can often be on the receiving end of taking a lot of big hits, a bigger body style at running back can mean more durability and availability throughout the season. As the old saying goes, a player’s best ability is his availability.
Since 2020, Jacobs has missed only six games, with four of them coming last season. Up until Week 16 of 2023, Dillon hadn’t missed a game over the previous three seasons.
Running back is still a position that the Packers have to address in the draft, and I would guess that they do so with one of their five top 100 selections.
The Packers are always going to have their height and weight thresholds that they want each specific position group to hit. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if, in the draft, we see the pendulum swing a bit in the other direction at running back since they already have some bigger, more physical backs on the roster in an effort to bring in a different body type and element to the offense.
