NFL Draft 2019: Jerry Tillery is an elite prospect the Chiefs can’t ignore

STRENGTHS

When looking at a defensive tackle potential, one of the first things I look for is his burst off of the line of scrimmage. Is he consistently one of the first off the line of scrimmage on a play to play basis? If so, he has the best chance to beat the offensive lineman off the snap and get to his assigned gap before his opponent can even get his feet set which allows him to catch the offensive lineman off balance.

Tillery has a very good first step and he used it to his advantage when rushing the passer. His first step often caught guards off balance and allowed him to penetrate gaps quickly and effectively. Given his quick first step and ability to launch off the line of scrimmage, Tillery was able to get one on one battles before a double team could form. You do not want to be an offensive lineman being asked to take him alone.

Notre Dame took full advantage of his quickness off of the snap by consistently tasking him with stunts and twists. This was asking Tillery to move across the body of an offensive lineman directly off the snap and move to the outside. The result was creating a hole in the offensive line allowing another lineman or linebacker to penetrate the backfield. Here Tillery rushes outside from the middle pushing the tackle outward, then cuts back inside for a direct hit on the quarterback.

Quickness off of the line of scrimmage is great, but Tillery also needs to have the tools to win outside of his speed. Fortunately he does. Most defensive linemen coming into the draft have very few pass rushing moves. You might remember second-round pick Breeland Speaks from a season ago who came into the league as a bull rusher. Tillery already has a few other moves outside of his bull rush that he displayed in his 2018 season.

One of those moves is his cross-chop move that is absolutely deadly. Tillery does a great job chopping away the hands of an offensive lineman in order to keep his chest clean and move past his blocker to get into the backfield.

Another lethal move that Tillery demonstrates is his push-pull move. Using his length, size, and strength to go along with his quick first move off the line of scrimmage, Tillery is able to get initial contact which keeps the offensive lineman away from his center mass. He showed the ability to use this push-pull move to discard offensive linemen to get a direct line route to the quarterback or ball carrier.

Another notable thing about Tillery is his ability to win not only up the middle but to the right or the left of his opponent. As we touched on earlier, Speaks was a strictly bull rush pass rusher coming out of last year’s draft. Tillery shows the ability to use his moves in order to rush to the right, left, and through his opponent. In this next clip, the guard anticipates him to go to the outside of him and gets caught off balance allowing Tillery to throw him back into the quarterback’s lap and get a sack.

It’s clear that Tillery rushes with a plan given the number of moves that he displayed in 2018. He’s already ahead of most defensive linemen having multiple pass rushing moves and counters to minimize his losses. When discussing his hand fighting skills, this is an area that he showed a major improvement from his junior to senior year, which also answers any concerns about work ethic.

Much like Jones coming into his rookie season, Tillery shows flashes of being able to get underneath the offensive lineman’s pads to generate control. Both players have been known for a lack of consistency in this area, often standing high and attacking high. In 2018, Tillery got under the pads more than ever and got low to take control of offensive linemen. His development should only continue in these areas

While Tillery may not be a stout run defender like Nnadi who plugs the middle almost effortlessly, his defense against the run isn’t a liability either. His quick penetration off his first step often disrupts any run lanes coming up the middle. He also does a decent job of setting the edge when put on the outside.