Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon was selected as one of the “2022 Rising Stars” by the NFL Players Association.
The NFLPA splits up the list into two sections: rookies and veterans. Dillon, a second-round pick entering Year 3 in 2022, came in at No. 8 on the veterans list.
Dillon rushed for a team-high 803 yards and scored seven total touchdowns during a breakout second season in 2021. He’ll likely get even more touches as a sidekick to Aaron Jones in the Packers offense in 2022.
How does a player make the list? The NFLPA thinks Dillon is “poised to have an instant impact on consumer sales and ultimately rank on the NFLPA Top 50 Players Sales lists in the new season,” per a press release.
“The magic of this list is that it pulls from a variety of data including player sales, fan bases, social media engagement and even fantasy football popularity,” said Steve Scebelo, President of NFL Players Inc. “Combined with their diverse personalities and exciting on-field performances, we forecast players best positioned to move the needle for products and marketing in the upcoming season.”
Dillon, a bruising runner with legendary-sized legs, has become a fan favorite in Green Bay. He now has over 100,000 followers on Twitter and over 300,000 on Instagram.
Dillon is a rising star on the field. He finished first among running backs in “Success Rate” at Football Outsiders and ranked second in rushing grade (behind only Jonathan Taylor) at Pro Football Focus.
