Run Blocking
Washington State’s scheme didn’t ask Dillard to block at the point of attack very often, but the same issues that created issues as a pass protector were especially pronounced as a run blocker. His pad level makes it very hard for him to generate push, as a lot of the power that he generates gets wasted as upward motion, allowing far less powerful defenders to hold their own at the point of attack against him:
And, in the worst instances, he ended up actively going backwards:
It also made it very difficult for him to sustain blocks, especially when asked to block at an angle, as players who were able to get under his pad level were able to have success attacking his shoulder, creating relatively consistent issues maintaining gap control:
With the disparity in pad level and his short arms also leading to him having to lean into blocks at times, leading to some whiffs:
With his short arms also making it relatively easy for defenders to work off his blocks:
In short, it’s likely that Dillard will probably never become an amazing run blocker, but in the right scheme he can likely be functional, with his foot speed and body control being best suited to a heavily zone scheme – while the Panthers do run power at times, this would likely not be disqualifying for him. Additionally, for the Panthers in particular, his ability to work to the second level and look for work effectively:
And the movement skills he shows on screens and the like:
Will certainly add value to a team like the Panthers which ask their offensive linemen to play in space a fair amount.
In summation, Dillard has flaws, his pad level being the biggest of which, but with his short arms also creating issues at times – no prospect is perfect coming out of college. However, while this is likely going to limit him as a run blocker, his ability in pass protection is valuable enough to make him worth first round consideration and would, in my opinion, make him the favorite to start Week 1 at left tackle for the Panthers should they draft him.
Grade: Late First Round
Best-Case NFL Comparison: Ja’wuan James
