AJ Dillon - More Explosive Runs 2022
Very interesting data on AJ. He had the best "success rate" of all NFL running backs, but one of the lowest scores for explosive plays.
Success Rate:
He ranked first among NFL running backs in success rate, a metric from Football Outsiders that records how often a player records a successful in a given down-and-distance scenario.
Explosives:
Despite leading the team in rushing with 803 yards, Dillon produced only two rushes of 20 or more yards in 2021. He was one of only seven running backs in the NFL to carry the ball 150 or more times and have two or fewer runs of 20 or more yards last season. “Breakaway percentage” from Pro Football Focus helps further highlight this lack of big runs. The stat looks at percentage of a player’s rushing yards from runs of at least 15 yards during a given season. Dillon finished at 11.2 percent, which ranked 53rd out of 61 qualifying running backs in 2021.
Home-run hitting just wasn’t a big part of Dillon’s game as a second-year runner. To keep with the baseball analogy: He hit a lot of singles and the occasional double.
At 247 pounds, Dillon ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds at the combine. His “Speed Score,” which combines weight and speed, ranked second behind only Jonathan Taylor in the 2020 draft class. In addition to speed, Dillon’s tackle-breaking ability is perfectly suited for making the unblocked defender miss, which is often vital for creating big runs. In summation: Everything he needs is there, but now Dillon must make it happen more consistently on the field.
Very interesting data on AJ. He had the best "success rate" of all NFL running backs, but one of the lowest scores for explosive plays.
Success Rate:
He ranked first among NFL running backs in success rate, a metric from Football Outsiders that records how often a player records a successful in a given down-and-distance scenario.
Explosives:
Despite leading the team in rushing with 803 yards, Dillon produced only two rushes of 20 or more yards in 2021. He was one of only seven running backs in the NFL to carry the ball 150 or more times and have two or fewer runs of 20 or more yards last season. “Breakaway percentage” from Pro Football Focus helps further highlight this lack of big runs. The stat looks at percentage of a player’s rushing yards from runs of at least 15 yards during a given season. Dillon finished at 11.2 percent, which ranked 53rd out of 61 qualifying running backs in 2021.
Home-run hitting just wasn’t a big part of Dillon’s game as a second-year runner. To keep with the baseball analogy: He hit a lot of singles and the occasional double.
At 247 pounds, Dillon ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds at the combine. His “Speed Score,” which combines weight and speed, ranked second behind only Jonathan Taylor in the 2020 draft class. In addition to speed, Dillon’s tackle-breaking ability is perfectly suited for making the unblocked defender miss, which is often vital for creating big runs. In summation: Everything he needs is there, but now Dillon must make it happen more consistently on the field.
