An Objective Look at Packer Draftees AJ Dillon & Josiah Deguara
After a 13-3 season and NFC Championship appearance last season, the Packers had a few holes to fill coming into the season. After selecting QB Jordan Love from Utah in the first round as possible replacement a few years down the road for 36-year old Aaron Rodgers, the Packers added two more skill position players in A.J. Dillon and Josiah Deguara in the next two rounds.
Let’s take a closer look at Dillon and Deguara.
RB A.J. Dillon, Boston College
Source: sports-reference.com
The Packers had interest in Dillon ever since he was a freshman. The powerfully built Dillon at nearly 250 pounds was a workhorse, carrying the ball 845 times in three collegiate seasons. He tallied 1589 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground as a freshman, earning ACC Rookie of the Year and Freshman All-American.
Despite playing in only ten games as a sophomore, Dillon rushed for 1108 yards and ten touchdowns, earning first-team All-ACC honors. He capped off a brilliant collegiate career with 1685 yards on the ground and 14 touchdowns last season. Dillion was once again first team all-conference and third team AP All-American.
Dillon has impressive 4.53 speed for a man his size and possesses a 41-inch vertical leap. He can obviously handle a heavy workload and can wear defenses down late in game. Dillon has a knack for bursting through the hole with raw physical power. At the moment, he could be a short-yardage specialist while Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams play out their rookie contracts. Dillon has starting running back potential moving forward.
TE Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati
Source: sports-reference.com
With Jimmy Graham now in Chicago, the Packers were in need of a tight end to add to projected starter Jace Sternberger and veteran Mercedes Lewis. A three-sport athlete in high school, Deguara was a redshirt at Cincinnati his freshman year. He didn’t see much action the following two seasons with the exception of special teams play. Deguara came into his own in 2018, hauling in 38 passes before catching 39 for 504 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior. His efforts last season earned him first-team all-conference honors.
Although listed as a tight-end, Deguara could see significant time with the Packers as an H-back, going along with A.J. Dillon to boost an already very solid rushing attack. As a receiver, Deguara is able to find open spots in zone coverage and has good hands. One thing Deguara doesn’t have is breakaway speed, so the Packers can’t expect big plays down the field. However, he can become a capable receiver to pick up a big first down.
Deguara is quite versatile and considering his experience on special teams in college, that will carry over into the NFL. In fact, he could see more playing time on special teams than in the offense, at least during his rookie season. When seeing time on offense, expect dedicated run blocking, primarily in short yardage situations.
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I wish I could be a little more optimistic concerning this draft and the upcoming season,however I am much more skeptical than many other fans. I will gladly apologize if I am wrong in my assessment.My prediction for this season is at best 9-7 lose the division and a good chance of missing the playoffs or going home after the first game.
In other words. Water is wet. The sky is blue right? We have the same conversations year after year after year with this organization. Its not about Super Bowls its about keeping the team competitive, keeping front office guys employed, and building for a future that never comes.
I don’t even think the old white rat could have fucked up this draft any more the Ghoulie did!
His three drafts so far have produced no true stars unless you include Derwin James who the moron let
get away. Jaire good, not great. Give him Jenkins and very little else.
Can only wonder what could have been accomplished over the past 20 years if we didn’t have GM’s with their heads up their ass
“Degaura is more likely to get special teams snaps his first two years”
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I like the poster who put it best.
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Other teams got better….we got backups.
I like the Dillon pick. Maybe the only pick I like. The Packers had a knack for getting stopped on third and short last year, mainly because the Packers went with the pass on third and short for whatever reason and it was usually unsuccessful. Having a back like Dillon gives the Packers more options. Unlike just having a fullback, Dillon can get 20 yards if he gets past the line, kind of like Eddie Lacy, but faster and less tubby.
Deguara would have been a nice pick in the 6th round.
Deepsky I like Dillion also.
I agree also. A possible solid pick for the future.
A few picks later the Saints picked Adam Trautman a TE from Dayton. His Senior year he had 70 catches for 916 with 14 TDs. Was All Pioneer Football League in his Sophomore and Junior seasons and APFL player of the year and APFL first team his Senior year. For his career 171 catches for 2295 and 31 TDs. All Pioneer Football League, not a Juggernaut, but neither is the AAC.
A few picks after that the Browns took TE Harrison Bryant…who led ALL Division 1 TE’s in 2019 with 65 catches for 1104 yards. And won the Mackey Award as the Nations top TE. Other Mackey award winners….can be seen here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mackey_Award Some decent players on the list. You know productive players. You’ll see one familiar name on there. GB could have has 2 Mackey Award winners.
But hey this dude that nobody has heard of in 4 years had like 1 year of production of these 2 players. I’m stoked!!!!!
Stupid selection, no production, in the same kind of conference at the same position. Probably would have been an un-drafted player.
Ferris, my recollection was before the Packers pick of Deguara the Patriots traded up and selected a TE. Soon after the Packers picked Deguara the Patriots again traded up and grabbed a TE. Soon after that NO traded up and grabbed a TE.There was a run on TEs. I would guess the Patriots grabbed the better TE ahead of the Packers.
I don’t know how the TEs selected after Deguara will turn out, but I can say for certain that LaFleur was stoked about Deguara. I think Deguara is the TE LaFleur wanted that best fits what LaFleur wants to get out of his offense.
I always liked TJ Lang. This is what Lang thinks of this draft for the Packers.
TJ Lang
@TJLang70
It’s a new era in GB. They want to RUN the ball with a lot of PA passes. Doesn’t take anything away from 12… if anything, makes him more dangerous.
I guess we can all complain, but I think I will take the opinion of an NFL player who has experience with this team and QB.
I also think Bakhtiari has said since the draft ended that this will light a fire under Rodgers. I never thought Rodgers needed a fire lite under him, but if this does it great.
Dillion and Deguara were drafted to help the RUN and PA pass game. Add in the three big guys and you add another element to your offense at some time this year and next. I do think the guard out of Indiana will be put on the PUP and possibly IR this season.
PF4L April 27, 2020
LeFleur wants to build an offense that mirrors the 49ers i belive.
As I have been speculating, Gutekunst (I will just call him the “New” GM for the time being, because of the growing disdain he is now earning.) was most likely picking for TT (The Frugal GM) the last few years before taking over. Look at the direct comparison’s;
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The constant over-reaching (drafting someone intended for much later rounds)
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Trading up for a player that would have still been on the board without trading up
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Development projects that are chosen in the first few rounds.
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Oft-injured . . . or currently injured, or not able to participate in the combine due to past injury that is now healing. Or . . . all of the above.
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Tweaners . . . WHY? Enough said.
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Saying that their philosophy is BPA . . . then drafting someone that is nowhere close to being the BPA at that draft pick.
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Mark Murphy NEEDS to go. He can take this wanna-be “New” GM with him. Even if Love works out, there has been so much damage to the outlook for the next few years talent-wise, that it has made a mockery out of the present Packer’s competitiveness. The only thing that this new “GM” has done sufficiently has been to sign KNOWN NFL talent from the FA market. TT (The Frugal GM) could also do that reasonably well.
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Per this “New” GM’s own statement that they were “Going all in”; this is in direct violation of this “New” GM’s own statement of “Going all in” So obviously, he doesn’t give two shits for the Packer fan base that pays much of his salary. So screw him.
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Some people can’t deal with that amount of truth.
Exactly . . .
I’m starting to catch on :)
You want answers? I want the truth! You can’t handle the truth!
We live in a world with sports websites son, websites that need comments to survive. who is going to make those comments, you John?
I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom!
I`ve thought about this since the draft and I just can`t figure it out. Why give up a #1 and a #4 for a QB that might not have been drafted at all? It still to me has to be about money in some way…I hope #12 gets traded
Love would have been drafted. Don’t be confused why they did it. They are building their own team, even at the expense of winning right now, they made that perfectly clear.
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As far as Rodgers, don’t think for a minute in the round table talks about selecting a QB, that a conversation wasn’t discussed concerning that Rodgers may ask for a trade. I’ll go one further, i don’t think they would mind it, as it would advance their goal of building their own team.
I don’t know how they make Love sit the bench for 3-4 years. Rodgers is probably outta here in two years if not earlier, whether that be trade or release.
Or maybe we’ll have Ginger Gap Tooth flying out to California to try and convince Rodgers to retire for $20 million. The same plan he offered Favre, and the same plan Ted is getting paid with to this day.
Yea…i said the other day, 1st round QB’s don’t sit on the bench for 3 years anymore in today’s NFL, matter of fact, most start their first year.
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To be honest, except for Rodgers, i don’t recall a 1st round QB sitting that long, at all
It seems some of you came out of the gates guns blazing, but have since softened your outlook, almost like you were giving Gute the benefit of the doubt. I don’t have a problem with that.
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For myself, i rarely change course and right now i’m in no danger of changing how i feel about Gutes job performance, or his character. The reason being, for the past 2+ years he has made a plethora of bad moves, bad draft picks, bad signings. Starting with his 1st and 2nd move of his GM career.
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If someone is impressed with Gute’s performance overall from day 1….God bless you, it’s a free country.
I just listened to 7 minutes of Gute’s teleconference call with reporters after selecting Love. I couldn’t finish it because i became nauseated by hearing “that’s how the board fell to us” for the fourth time. That was enough.
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Keep in mind 2,3 days before the draft Gute said…”a QB could be in play high in the draft”.
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In case you missed it, I’ll re-post something, and you can draw your own conclusion.
Well, i can’t re-post it, seems my post has been REMOVED from last night at 2:24 AM. I’m NOT fucking happy about.
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It had to do with 3 strong reasons that prove Gute went into the draft targeting Love. I’ll condense it because i’m pissed off.
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1) Grabbed a plane last fall to watch Love play with one of his scouts. Called Love’s old coach last falll the have a long conversation about Love.
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2) How does a board “fall to you” when you traded up to go get him?
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3) Don’t take my word for it, listen to Ian Rapoport. who states the Packers had a pre-planned trade with Seattle, if they needed it.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap3000001111780/Rapoport-Packers-were-adamant-about-drafting-a-QB
Stay at home orders or not, i don’t need anyone removing my work on here (it isn’t the first time).
No posts have been removed
GDI…my apologies. I’m sending you a PF4L golf shirt as a sign of goodwill.
You want answers? I want the truth! You can’t handle the truth!
We live in a world with sports websites son, websites that need comments to survive. who is going to make those comments, you John?
I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom!
Deguara is seen as this TE/FB hybrid. Him succeeding at the next level hinges on whether he is both a runninng/blocking AND receiving threat. Let’s review two examples.
Kittle is a huge receiving threat. He will feast on traditional downhill thumper LB. That is enough to make you assign a good cover LB or a S on him. But at the same time he is a very capable blocker, so smaller LBs and S would be at a disadvantage there.
Jusczyck (probably misspelled) is a great blocking FB. That and short yardage are his main thing, so a LB is the natural matchup. However, he gas good hands, so you can flex him out to receive, so you need a bit of coverage ability as well to defend him.
The point is, if Deguara is neither here not there, defenses won’t mind too much about who is assigned to him. It is of no use if he can’t be a reasonable threat at either receiving or running/blocking. To be this versatile guy in the NFL, he has to be at the very least a credible threat at one skill, and be at least competent on the other, with Kittle being the extreme case as a true threat at both elements.
Otherwise you get a guy that will not see the field often because he is not able to shine on any specific role. The offensive equivalent of Oren Burks and Josh Jackson.
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Dillon, on the other hand, should contribute from the get-go as a faster Jamaal Williams, hopefully our own Derrick-Henry type RB. It is the most win-now pick. And I expect our offense to have extremely long possessions, because our run defense was not helped one bit in this draft.
PF4L and others you really should give a click to Cheesehead TV and look at the very long scouting reports provided by, but not produced by Jersey Al on Love, Dillion and Deguara. Deguara is a pleasant surprise.
Sorry Jason, but Packer fans need to look at those summary sheets of scouting reports by a scouting service. Be prepared for long detailed analysis.
Come back after review and discuss.
I can’t…i’m already on thin ice.
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Besides special teams, where is Deguara going to play, is he a tight end, or is he projected as a fullback?
Probably should read the summary of the report. It is very long. At the end of the summary the comparison used is to Kittle only shorter. So tight end and some H back. There is very little negative in the report. The reports on Dillion and Love have more negatives than Deguara. It is no wonder LaFleur was stoked about Deguara. The question is are those scouting summaries correct? Most of the time as you know the scouts hit on players strengths and weaknesses fairly well.
My biggest issue with Deguara is he is a tad slow. But as we have seen in the NFL quite a bit, there is a difference between a 40 time in shorts and football speed. Ask MVS
I need to apologize to Bears fans that I made fun of when the Bears traded up to draft Trushitstick.
The Green Bay GM idiot just made Ryan Pace look a little competent by his gross incompetence. Bears may beat Green Bay this year and it is the Green Bay GMs fault. I can’t even say his name.
GDI…i thought all the Packer miscues and neglect was Rodgers fault.
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Nevermind me, i confuse easily.
Cosell literally outlines what I have been saying for the past couple years about Rodgers.
https://youtu.be/7dXumCcjbpw
In homage to director Sam Peckinpah:
Bring Me the Head of Josiah Deguara.