Packers: More Opportunities for Aaron Jones in the Passing Game Ahead

With the addition of A.J. Dillon in the draft, Aaron Jones could see more opportunities in the passing game this season with the Green Bay Packers.

One of the biggest changes that had to take place for the Green Bay Packers under Head Coach Matt LaFleur was making sure that Aaron Jones was getting enough touches. And not just on the ground, but in the passing game as well.

In 2018 under Coach Mike McCarthy, Jones would finish with 26 receptions on 35 targets, averaging 7.9 yards per catch with a touchdown. Not to mention that Jones would line up just eight times in the slot and just once out wide the entire season according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

With Jones’ skill-set, as we saw, he can give this Green Bay Packers’ offense an added element with his ability to line up out of the backfield, create mismatches, and be a real weapon in the passing game.

Fortunately this past season, LaFleur gave Jones a much larger role in the passing game and he would not disappoint. Jones’ snap count in the slot and out wide went from nine the previous season to 83 in 2019 and his targets nearly doubled with 68. He’d also total 49 receptions at 9.7 yards per catch with three touchdowns.

We also can’t forget about the stretch from Weeks 5 through 8 when the Green Bay Packers were without Davante Adams and Jones became Aaron Rodgers top receiving target. During that span of games, he would haul in 22 of 27 passes for 280 yards and all three of his touchdown receptions. And of course, this includes a 159-yard performance in Kansas City.

Now as we begin to look ahead to the upcoming season, with the addition of A.J. Dillon in the draft, Jones could very well see even more opportunities in the passing game in 2020.

While Jamaal Williams has been an excellent complimentary back during his short career, he does lack that explosive playmaking ability. Coming out of BYU he was a below-average athlete by the Relative Athletic Scoring metric and he is averaging just 3.9 yards per carry over his career along with just 6.8 yards per catch in 2019.

Meaning, when Williams is in the backfield, defenses aren’t necessarily as worried about the Packers’ run game which minimizes the effectiveness of the passing game.

Enter Dillon who at 247 pounds is an excellent athlete and during his Boston College career, he would eclipse 1,100 rushing yards all three seasons, including more than 1,500 in two of them. Dillon also tallied a career average 5.2 yards per carry and oftentimes he did that against loaded boxes.

If Dillon can bring that playmaking ability to the NFL level, especially given his size he is going to command quite a bit of the defense’s attention. Although Jones will still see plenty of snaps out of the backfield, with a potential home run hitter in Dillon behind him, that’ll allow Jones to line up in the slot or out wide more often in order to capitalize on those mismatches that he can create.

On top of that, it would appear that the days of Rodgers rolling up to the line of scrimmage with five wide are behind him. Sure we will still see it, but under LaFleur there are going to be a lot of two receiver sets, which will create more opportunities in the passing game for Jones and players like Jace Sternberger and Josiah Deguara.

Whether out of the backfield or lined up as a receiver, Jones has shown us that he can be a game-changer from anywhere on the field. Now with the addition of Dillon, Jones’ role in the passing game will once again have the opportunity to grow this season.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference, College Football Reference, and Pro Football Focus,