Green Bay Packers: Does Matt LaFleur see Derrick Henry in AJ Dillon?

The Green Bay Packers had an unconventional 2020 NFL Draft class. Does Matt LaFleur see shades of Derrick Henry in 2nd rounder AJ Dillon?

As a descendant of the Mike Shanahan/Gary Kubiak/Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur certainly has roots tied to a certain brand of football that has been very effective when done correctly in the NFL for a number of decades now.

LaFleur was hired by the Packers in 2019 after spending a year with the Tennessee Titans as offensive coordinator, and before that he worked with the Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins, and Houston Texans.

LaFleur’s one year in Tennessee may have been a more impactful one for him than we know as it was the year he got the opportunity to work with one of the rarest physical specimens in pro football — Titans running back and former Heisman winner Derrick Henry.

Although the Shanahan/Kubiak offense has historically been famous for cranking out productive running backs without much of a pedigree, it’s also proven to be a very effective system for talented backs, obviously.

Henry is no exception.

He averaged 4.9 yards per carry in his lone season with Matt LaFleur calling the plays, eclipsing 1,000 yards for the first time in his NFL career and scoring 12 rushing touchdowns, two more than his first two NFL seasons combined (10).

The success Henry enjoyed in LaFleur’s offense was not lost on LaFleur, whose Packers surprisingly used a second-round selection on Boston College’s AJ Dillon, a strikingly similar physical specimen to Derrick Henry.

Although he’s a few inches shorter, Dillon is a massive running back prospect with rare athletic traits for his size.

At 6-feet, 247 pounds, he ran a 4.53 in the 40-yard dash and absolutely blew up the rest of the Combine with a 41-inch vertical jump, a 131-inch broad jump, and 23 bench press reps at 225 pounds.

Dillon’s style of running is similar to that of Henry’s as somewhat of an upright runner, but he’s so physical and thick in his lower body that it’s impossible to bring him down on first contact.

Given his impressive long speed, Dillon is also not a player you want to get in front of going full speed and he’s deceptively fast in a footrace.

Derrick Henry’s progression over the last two seasons has made him one of the most unique offensive weapons in the NFL, seemingly capable of moving the chains or capping off a drive with a touchdown at will.

Dillon has that same kind of ability, and it could wind up being amplified in the elements of Green Bay.

Who wants to get in front of a 250-pound running back running 4.53? Who’s going to be able to take him down even if they do get in front of him?

Although the Packers made somewhat of a questionable selection when they took Dillon in the second round, the closer you look at it, the more it seems to make sense. They are going to establish an elite running game in 2020, and Dillon could be the featured ball carrier with Aaron Jones playing a “1A” kind of role as the primary receiving back as well.

Dillon is going to help the Packers close out close games. He’s going to help them cap off drives by pushing his way through piles and grinding out short-yardage touchdowns. He’s got the type of physical mentality at the position that will certainly endear him to the Green Bay faithful.

Although he’s not a wide receiver — which the Packers desperately needed — Dillon is a tremendous weapon for their offense and someone who can help them right away just the way Derrick Henry helped the Tennessee Titans during their remarkable run in the 2019 season.