Andre Dillard in a nutshell

• Taken 22nd overall by Philadelphia Eagles in 2019 NFL Draft
• Started nine games over three seasons with Eagles
• Released following 2022 season
• Signed with Tennessee Titans prior to 2023 season; played in 16 games with 10 starts
• Signed with Packers in April 2024

2024 regular season

• Appeared in 10 games for the Packers (0 starts)
• 13 offensive snaps
• 50 special teams snaps

Overview

Dillard was an insurance policy in 2024, and to that end he filled his role perfectly.

Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, the Packers were widely thought to be in the market for offensive line help, and consensus boards seemed to show that the Packers were well-positioned to land a quality prospect.

But the draft is no sure thing; the Packers have been burned before by things playing out differently than expected, and Brian Gutekunst chose to hedge his bets with Dillard, adding the former first-round pick for some tackle depth to guard against things going sideways.

They didn’t, though. The Packers landed Jordan Morgan in the first round and never really looked back. They ended up being so stable at tackle that Morgan didn’t even get a shot at playing the position where he lined up for his entire college career, starting his NFL career as a guard.

That left Dillard as a backup on the outside, and with both Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom staying healthy for the entire 2024 season, there was no need for Dillard.

His 13 offensive snaps came only in mop-up duty; he played four snaps at right tackle late in the Packers’ 38-13 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 12, then got another nine at left tackle as the Packers cruised to a 34-0 win over the Saints in Week 16.

Dillard ended the season inactive for Weeks 17 and 18 with a concussion, then was a healthy scratch for the Packers’ playoff loss to the Eagles.

Would the Packers have fared much better with Dillard at left guard than they did with Travis Glover or Kadeem Telfort? It’s hard to say, but now we’ll never know.

The case for keeping Andre Dillard

The case for keeping Dillard in 2025 is very similar to the case for signing him in 2024: the Packers could use the tackle depth.

If you want the Packers as deep as possible at tackle heading into the 2025 season, Dillard could be an option to fill out the depth chart.

Jordan Morgan is still an option at tackle, but Brian Gutekunst still seems committed to keeping his 2024 first-round pick inside.

That means that as of right now, the Packers are leaning on Travis Glover and Kadeem Telfort outside — a fraught proposition given what we saw from them in the playoffs.

Dillard at least would give the Packers another option at tackle, assuming they don’t add one there during the draft.

The Packers already thought he could be quality depth once.

Maybe Dillard can be the same again.