Buccaneers 2020 NFL Draft: AJ Dillon the new Mike Alstott

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a perfect fit for their team in the 2020 NFL Draft in the form of running back AJ Dillon out of Boston College.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will likely be looking for a new running back in the 2020 Draft if they decide to not bring back Peyton Barber. This move may be better than it seems as it brings the Bucs one step closer to drafting AJ Dillon.

AJ Dillon is probably not a name that many fans are familiar with. Players like Cam Akers, J.K. Dobbins, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are the big names that most Bucs fans have started to see in recent mock drafts.

The biggest problem with these other running backs is not their talent but their price. These three running backs are all pegged to be drafted in the first three rounds and no NFL team regardless of need should ever draft a running back in the first two rounds at the very least.

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The reason behind this is that the disparity between a first-round running back and a seventh-round running back is miles less than the difference between a first-round quarterback and a seventh-round quarterback.

The same can be said for many other positions with running back being one of the least necessary to spend a high draft pick or a high salary on. While not the only measure of success, none of the top-paid running backs for 2020 played in the postseason and David Johnson, the highest-paid running back in the NFL in 2019, finished the year on the bench.

The moral of the story here is that teams need to find the best value for a running back in rounds 3-7 and that is where AJ Dillon comes in.

For starters, the Buccaneers do not need a replacement for Ronald Jones. With the sample size that he provided, Rojo showed that he is an explosive runner and an above-average pass-catcher posting a 1,000 total yard season in 2019 with around half of the total touches.

What the Buccaneers do need is a change of pace back that varies dramatically from Rojo and that is what AJ Dillon would be. Standing at 6’0” and nearly 250 pounds, Dillon bears a striking physical resemblance to  Buccaneer Ring of Honor member Mike Alstott.

The Buccaneers did not have a fullback on their roster in 2019 and had Vita Vea and Dare Ogunbowale mostly fill the role. While this would be a position change for him, AJ Dillon would not only give the Buccaneers more of a true fullback to threaten the run while also being a blocker but also a complete wrecking ball of a running back.

AJ Dillon would give the Buccaneers exactly what they need between the tackles and would create a lightning and thunder dynamic between himself and Ronald Jones. There is also a universe that exists that has the 350 pound Vita Vea lined up at fullback in front of the 250 pound Dillon which could be devastating against any defensive line.

Despite his monstrous size, Dillon’s 40 time is likely somewhere in the 4.6 range which will make him a freight train when paired together properly.

If their level of college play was any indication, Dillon ran for 4,382 yards and 38 touchdowns for 5.2 yards per carry during his three years at Boston College while Mike Alstott rushed for 3,635 yards and 39 touchdowns for an average of 5.6 yards per carry over four years at Purdue.

Alstott was a more efficient runner and was a better pass catcher but Dillon is likely as close as the Buccaneers will get to the potential of a return to Mike Alstott. The Buccaneers also don’t need a running back who can catch in this draft as they have Jones, who can step in on more passing downs, and Dare Ogunbowale.

For the price of a fifth-round pick AJ Dillon may be as good as they come. The Buccaneers would certainly get their worth out of a player like this and they desperately need a better goal-line running back.

A pick like this wouldn’t make a splash such as a player like Akers or Dobbins, but the value for the quality of player received here is almost unmatched. While a comparison with Mike Alstott is a lofty one, AJ Dillon can likely play a similar role with a little practice.