The Green Bay Packers gave themselves some insurance on the offensive line, signing Andre Dillard a week before the 2024 NFL Draft.
The team announced via X on Thursday, April 18 that they had agreed to terms with the veteran offensive lineman.
#Packers sign T Andre Dillard.
📰: https://t.co/Ar0NdgE31k#GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/kADFhoQ7K6
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) April 18, 2024
Offensive line depth has been a concern this offseason for the Packers. Now, the addition of Dillard will give them a little bit more flexibility with their gameplan heading into the draft.
That being said, expect the Packers to still keep their eye on offensive line prospects once the three-day draft weekend comes around.
Who Is Andre Dillard?
While he hasn’t lived up to being a first-round pick at the NFL level, Dillard brings a unique skill set to Green Bay.
Dillard was a 3-star recruit coming out of high school in the state of Washington back in 2014. His offers included smaller programs like Eastern Washington and Idaho. However, he was able to secure an in-state offer from an FBS program in Washington State, which he took advantage of.
A late bloomer for the Cougars, Dillard didn’t start until his final two seasons for the program. He started 26 games over those final two seasons, even earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors as a senior.
Dillard turned heads during the pre-draft process. His Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.81 out of 10 included elite scores in the 40-yard dash, shuttle, three-cone, and broad jump drills.
Andre Dillard was drafted with pick 22 of round 1 in the 2019 draft class. He scored a 9.81 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 21 out of 1045 OT from 1987 to 2019.https://t.co/QkZygYf1aR pic.twitter.com/DYuAWmI25f
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 23, 2024
The Philadelphia Eagles took a chance on Dillard with the 22nd pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, he’s never panned out as a top-tier left tackle at the NFL level, at least not yet. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s only posted an overall grade of above 60.0 in one season, and even then his grade was just 69.6 in 2021.
Still, Dillard is only 28 years old. The Packers are notorious for developing offensive linemen, so they may be able to maximize his potential now that he’s in Green Bay.
Offensive Line Depth Is Still a Priority
The Packers need to continue adding offensive line depth, even with the Dillard signing.
Prior to Dillard, the Packers only had one reserve lineman with legitimate NFL playing experience. That was Royce Newman, who has been a disappointing starter for the Packers, particularly when it comes to handling twists and stunts on the inside.
Other Packers backup offensive linemen on the depth chart have limited experience. Those names include undrafted free agent Caleb Jones, Kadeem Telfort, and Luke Tenuta.
Even the starters aren’t long-term locks on the line. Rasheed Walker did an admirable job at the tail end of last season at left tackle, but his job isn’t safe past 2024 unless he dominates this upcoming season. Sean Rhyan was a former third-round pick, but only played sparingly in rotation with Jon Runyan Jr. this past season.
Fortunately, the Packers have 11 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. They may use some of those picks to trade up. However, expect general manager Brian Gutekunst to use a handful of those picks to add depth on the offensive line.
For the time being, a cheap veteran free agent like Dillard gives Green Bay a huge boost to their depth up front.
