Packers coach's latest comments spell doom for recent high draft pick

The dust is still settling on the 2024 NFL Draft, where the Green Bay Packers had a whopping five picks in the top 100 overall selections. Among their top five picks was third-round running back Marshawn Lloyd, a former USC star who has tremendous three-down abilities as a runner and receiver.

The selection of Lloyd in itself seemed to spell certain doom for former second-round pick AJ Dillon, whom the Packers brought back this offseason in a slightly shocking move.

If the selection of Lloyd in itself wasn't enough to have Dillon quaking in his boots, then the comments recently made by offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich will do it.

Recent comments by Packers offensive coordinator are bad news for AJ Dillon

Stenavich recently met with the media and said that the Packers want to get their new third-round pick involved "as much as possible."

These comments by Stenavich shouldn't be surprising in the least. You don't spend a top-100 pick on the running back position to have the guy sit around and wait to play. You spend a top-100 pick on the running back position to put that guy out on the field.

The issue for former second-round pick Dillon is very simple -- not only did the Packers invest a top-100 pick in Lloyd, but they've got big-money free agent Josh Jacobs atop the depth chart. Jacobs should be expected to lead this Packers team in total touches in 2024, and with how many options the Packers have in the passing game, touches might be too tough to come by for Dillon.

The Packers have a pretty easy way out of the deal they signed with Dillon this offseason. He counts less than $1.3 million against the salary cap and there is no dead money whether he's released or traded. Even though Stenavich said that Dillon brings a level of physicality that Lloyd doesn't at this point, the Packers' plans have been made clear.

And it doesn't look like Dillon will be part of them.

It makes sense for Green Bay to hoard Dillon until the end of the preseason at this point. If there's any sort of injury to either Jacobs of Lloyd, Dillon remains inexpensive and quality depth at that position. But if the Packers get to final roster cuts with both Jacobs and Lloyd running at full speed, then Dillon should be expected to be cut or traded and not kept as a third back at that point.

There will be teams around the league in need of running back help by the time late August rolls around. The Packers were wise to use the provision they had available to them to bring Dillon back into the fold, but the decision to draft Lloyd and subsequent comments from the OC make it feel like Dillon won't be around much longer.

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