Packers continue focus on offense by adding RB AJ Dillon

Green Bay used a second-round pick on running back AJ Dillon, taking the Boston College workhorse with the 62nd overall selection Friday night in an unusual emphasis on offense for the Packers so early in the draft.

Dillon rushed for 4,382 yards and 38 touchdowns in his three-year college career, including 1,685 yards and 14 scores last season. The Packers added him one day after selecting Utah State quarterback Jordan Love in the first round.

Selecting offensive players in the first two rounds represents a change from the Packers’ traditional draft approach.

Before this season, the Packers hadn’t used a first-round pick on offense since taking Mississippi State tackle Derek Sherrod at No. 32 overall in 2011. The Packers went with defense with their first two picks last year, their first three draft choices in 2018 and their first four selections in 2017.

The Packers clearly drafted with an eye on the future when they moved up four spots to use the No. 26 overall pick on Love, a talented but unpolished quarterback who figures to spend at least the next couple of seasons behind two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers on the depth chart.

The selection of Dillon also doesn’t necessarily seem to fill an immediate need. Green Bay already has Aaron Jones, who rushed for 1,084 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. Jamaal Williams is a capable complementary back.

But running back could be a major concern a year from now, as both Jones and Williams are potential free agents in 2021.

The Packers also had the No. 94 overall pick in the third round late Friday. They traded their fourth-round pick to acquire Love but still have one pick in the fifth round, three in the sixth and two in the seventh Saturday.

Green Bay still has some concerns it needs to address the rest of the draft as it seeks to take the next step after going 13-3 and losing to San Francisco in the NFC championship game last season.

The Packers would like to give Rodgers more targets to accompany three-time Pro Bowl selection Davante Adams, the only Packer who caught as many as 50 passes or accumulated as many as 500 yards receiving last season.

The Packers also would like to shore up their run defense after giving up 120.1 yards rushing per game during the 2019 regular season to rank 23rd in the NFL.

Linebacker Blake Martinez, the Packers’ leading tackler each of the last three seasons, left for the New York Giants. The Packers signed former Cleveland Browns linebacker and prolific tackler Christian Kirksey as a potential replacement, but injuries caused him to play just two games last season and seven games in 2018.

The Packers lost longtime starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga to the Los Angeles Chargers during free agency. They added 30-year-old former Detroit Lions tackle Rick Wagner but may want to add more depth at that spot.