New Eagles running back could be Saquon Barkley's best friend

More importantly, at 6-feet, 247 pounds, Dillon is 14 pounds heavier than Barkley. At that size, Dillard could actually share the field with his teammate as a fullback, something Will Shipley, a fourth-round pick in 2024, isn’t likely to do at 209 pounds. Last year, the team used Ben VanSumeren at fullback until the 24-year-old linebacker tore his ACL in practice ahead of their Week 12 game.

Dillard could also be used on short-yardage situations (i.e. the “tush-push”) or as an extra blocker on designed runs for quarterback Jalen Hurts. Known throughout the league for having 34-inch quads (five inches better than Barkley), Dillon is a physical specimen who can be hard to bring down.

However, those quads didn’t do him any good last season. After suffering a neck-stinger toward the end of 2023, Dillon spent last season on injured reserve. Fortunately for the Eagles, he’s “received clearance from the top neck specialists in the country,” per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. 

The addition of Dillon comes with risk, but injuries aside, he’ll be well-rested when he arrives in Philadelphia. The 26-year-old running back hasn’t played in an NFL game since a New Year’s Eve matchup against the Vikings in 2023 and should be chomping at the bit to open the 2025 regular season as a member of the Eagles.