Former Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Andre Dillard signed a one-year deal with the Green Bay ... [+]
This isn't the way Andre Dillard could have envisioned things.
Not his four years in Philadelphia. And certainly not his one-year stint in Tennessee.
But now, Dillard — a 2019 first round draft pick by the Eagles — is trying to save his career in Green Bay.
Dillard signed a one-year, $1.125 million contract with the Packers in April that included no guaranteed money. So Dillard is operating on a “prove it” deal as he fights to stay in the league.
“I’m still here, still around, because I believe that there’s a lot of good football ahead of me,” Dillard said. “I don’t really look behind me at a bunch of stuff that’s already happened to me. You learn from previous experiences, and … put one foot in front of the other.”
Dillard’s previous experiences certainly haven't gone according to plan.
Dillard was the 23rd overall selection in the 2019 draft after posting some of the most impressive numbers by an offensive lineman in NFL Combine history.
Dillard ran the 40-yard dash that year in 4.96 seconds, a blazing time for a man standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 315 pounds. He lifted 225 pounds a solid 24 times during the bench press and posted the top overall athleticism score and total score among offensive linemen in his class, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
“Like him a lot,” one scout said at the time. “He’s quick, uses his hands well. He’s patient, he can bend. He pass blocks, and that’s what people do now. He can do that. Easily.”
A second scout added: “Best left tackle in the draft. Really nice feet. Always has a base under him. Will be a day one starter for somebody that needs one.”
Dillard played at pass happy Washington State, which had other scouts leery of his jump to the NFL.
“He’s always kind of on his heels playing backwards,” a third scout said. “He’s not going to be able to do that in the NFL. He’s got to play forward. He’s got to be put his hand on the ground. I worry about guys from those kind of teams. All they do is pass protect 55 times a game. You wonder how it translates.”
It hasn't translated well.
In four seasons with the Eagles, Dillard made just nine starts.
Dillard couldn't win a starting job during his rookie year in Philadelphia, then suffered torn biceps in 2020 and spent his entire second year on the injured reserve list. Dillard lost a training camp battle with Jordan Mailata to be the Eagles’ left tackle in 2021, then spent six weeks in 2022 on the injured reserve list with a broken arm.
Philadelphia declined the fifth-year option on Dillard’s contract and he signed a three-year, $29 million deal with Tennessee in March, 2023. After 10 games, though, and allowing up an NFL-high 12 sacks, Dillard was benched.
The Titans then released him on March 15.
“Things just didn’t quite pan out the way that me and the coaches would have liked,” Dillard said of his time in Tennessee. “It wasn’t a great fit all around for everybody. Things happen. This is a crazy league. You never know. Whatever happens, just got to put one foot in front of the other and just keep going.”
The Packers lost guard Jon Runyan and reserve tackle Yosh Nijman in free agency, and released left tackle David Bakhtiari. So Green Bay appeared to be an attractive landing spot for Dillard when he signed with the Packers on April 18.
“Very talented, spent some time starting last year in Tennessee, so he’s got some starts under his belt,” Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst said after signing Dillard. “Certainly we lost some offensive line depth over the past few months. I think it was just an opportunity to bring in another guy we feel is going to be very competitive in that room.”
Just one week after Dillard became a Packer, though, Green Bay selected three offensive linemen in the NFL Draft, including first round pick Jordan Morgan, along with fifth rounder Jacob Monk and sixth rounder Travis Glover.
Where that leaves Dillard remains to be seen.
“They said that there’s one thing guaranteed right now and that’s an opportunity for you to come and compete,” Dillard said. “So, it’s a kind of ‘falls into your court’ kind of thing. They gave me the opportunity and I’m going to take it and do with it to the best of my ability.”
Whether that’s enough to keep Dillard in the league — and put his rocky past in the rearview mirror — will be determined in training camp.
“Every place is different,” Dillard said when asked about his time in Philadelphia and Tennessee. “I don’t know. I don't really want to dig too deep into that. I’m not trying to think about all that stuff. I’m just thinking about now and what I’m going to do to help this team.”
