Dillon Rocks NFL With Breakout Combine Performance

The football universe didn't know what it didn't know about AJ Dillon. It only knew highlights and statistics, both of which showed a 250-pound running back bulldozer plowing through stacked boxes for hard-nosed yards after contact. The game understood Dillon was the heartbeat of a power offense's rhythm, but it only knew nightly recap highlights of him running over defender after defender.

That foisted reputation didn't speak to the kind of player everyone at Boston College knew, and on Friday, Dillon began shattering the myth. He dominated the NFL Combine, finishing among leaders in every physical category and posting two top finishes as part of the prospect evaluation process.

"I can catch, pass protect, and run," Dillon said as far back as December when he announced his eligibility for the NFL Draft. "I ran against loaded boxes all year and showed I could do it at a high level. People didn't see my athleticism because of how defenses played us. It's tough, but I think the Combine is exciting. I want to show people different elements, that I can jump, run and move around. It's something I've known and people around (BC) know, and it's something I'm excited to show off. It's a new challenge."

Dillon topped the vertical jump and broad jump categories at the combine for running backs, posting jumps of 41 inches and 131 inches, respectively. He was the only prospect to jump more than 130 inches in the broad jump, and his long measure beat any competition by three inches. He was also the only FBS player to eclipse 40 inches in the vertical, joined over the mark by only one other player (James Robinson of Illinois State).

Additionally, Dillon posted one of the five most bench press totals with 23, six less than winner Scottie Phillips, and he finished as one of the 10 best players in both the three-cone agility drill and 40-yard dash.

It drew immediate comparisons to Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, who had a case to make this past year as the NFL Most Valuable Player. Henry, a second round pick in 2016, rushed for over 1,800 yards this season with 18 touchdowns, and his 446 yards in the 2019 postseason pushed the franchise to within a game of the Super Bowl.

Dillon entered the combine with the exact same weight as Henry and posted similar numbers in almost every category. Dillon's 4.53 in the 40 was one one-thousandth faster than Henry's, and his bench went for one more rep than Henry's 22.

The former BC Eagle dominated the former Alabama Crimson Tide runner in the vertical by four inches, though Henry entered the draft three inches taller than Dillon.

"The biggest thing is my 40 time," Dillon said in December. "I'm going to show people that a big boy can actually move."

The combine rocketed Dillon's name up analyst charts, and he is now seeded as the fifth-best running back. Last year, the fifth running back went high in the third round as part of a run on the position. The Oakland Raiders selected Josh Jacobs with the 24th overall pick before Philadelphia chose Miles Sanders late in the second round. Three backs went over a five-pick span, starting with Darrell Henderson at No. 70, ending with Chicago and Buffalo selecting David Montgomery and Devin Singletary with consecutive picks.

Dillon is valued increasingly better than No. 70, though, as part of a deep, talented stable of running backs entering the NFL Draft. ESPN rated Dillon as the No. 50 overall pick, eight spots behind LSU's Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Georgia's D'Andre Swift is the only projected first round talent as the No. 12 overall prospect, but he's also the only running back rated over a 90. Ohio State's J.K. Dobbins is the second-best running back, but he slips to No. 28 overall, which puts him on the lower edge of the first round. Jonathan Taylor, who edged out Dillon for the running back yardage crown last year, is slotted third at No. 35 with an 88 overall before Edwards-Helaire and Dillon.

An overall rating score from ESPN is used by the network to project a prospect's potential professional impact. A score in the 80s describes a player as creating "mismatches versus most opponents in the NFL." It points to high-round player talent, and even with the depth at the position, there's still a six-point drop-off to Utah's Zack Moss, making Dillon the last 80-or-above runner for the network.

"There are great running backs coming out," Dillon said after his declaration. "I crave competition. I am close with some of those guys. I don't have any bad blood, but I'm just going to continuously work with my training. I get tunnel vision to set my sights on what I want to do, to go and get it. I want to leave nothing up to debate, that I can put myself in the best position."

Dillon's next public appearance in front of NFL scouts is on March 25 at Boston College's Pro Day event. It will come at the tail-end of BC's spring practice, which culminates on April 4 with the Eagles' annual spring football game.

Dillon Rocks NFL With Breakout Combine Performance

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AJ Dillon

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