A.J. Dillon rushed three times for 18 yards and a score in the Carolina Panthers' preseason win over the Arizona Cardinals, adding an 18-yard catch for good measure.
It wasn't a huge sample size, but with Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks held out, Dillon got a real look. And he made the most of it.
Dillon's night came in a bit of a tight window over the second quarter, when he hauled in an 18-yard reception, picked up four yards on his next carry, then punched in a one-yard touchdown on the following snap. He capped it with a 13-yard run to open Carolina's next drive before sitting out the rest of the contest.
A.J. Dillon could become a useful short-yardage option for the Carolina Panthers
That's the "Quadzilla" style Panthers fans were expecting when Dillon signed his one-year deal back in March.Â
Head coach Dave Canales made a point of praising the run game as a group after the game, saying he was pleased with the backs "from start to finish", singling out Dillon's runs alongside Anthony Tyus III's tough carries and Miles Davis's long gain.Â
And if we learned anything from the Panthers last season, they are going to use this run game heavily during the regular season as well.
The Panthers struggled to finish drives in short-yardage situations last year, at one point turning to tight end Mitchell Evans for a quarterback sneak package. That's the exact hole Dillon can fill.Â
At 247 pounds with a squat max he's put at 675, he's built for exactly that job. A one-yard touchdown on his first extended look is the kind of proof of concept the coaching staff wanted to see.
Dillon’s job isn’t as safe as it may seem. Undrafted rookie Davis actually out-gained the veteran, posting a team-high 53 yards on the ground and catching three passes out of the backfield to get himself noticed in the best possible way.
If Carolina keeps four backs, which cannot be dismissed entirely, and assuming RBs 1 through 3 are Hubbard, Brooks, and Trevor Etienne, that RB4 spot looks like a real competition. It also puts some pressure on Dillon to keep playing well.
He needs to be the bruiser Carolina can trust near the goal line. One drive into his preseason exploits, that's exactly the player Dillon looked like.Â
The next test comes August 15 against the Buffalo Bills at the newly completed Highmark Stadium. If Dillon keeps finishing runs like that, RB4 should be his.
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