NFL Draft 2019: Jerry Tillery is set for a visit with the Kansas City Chiefs

The timing of the visit is unknown, but Jerry Tillery, a defensive line prospect out of Notre Dame, is on the Kansas City Chiefs list of pre-draft visits.

The Kansas City Chiefs are often linked with Notre Dame defensive lineman Jerry Tillery in many mock drafts as analysts try to predict how the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft might play out at April’s end. Now they have a bit more evidence for a link between the two with word that Tillery will visit the Chiefs before the draft begins.

The Chiefs pick at No. 29 overall, and Tillery is often mentioned as a late first round prospect in terms of his draft stock. The Notre Dame tackle is drawing interest from other teams with picks in that part of the round, and he will reportedly take pre-draft visits with the Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, and Los Angeles Chargers.

Tillery has drawn comparisons to Chris Jones, the Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the Chiefs, and Brett Veach would likely love to make them a tandem along the front line. Tillery ranked third overall in total pressures among interior linemen last year in college football, per Pro Football Focus, and Jones had 15.5 sacks at the NFL level—good for third in the league.

Drafting Tillery would give the Chiefs two players with an elite ceiling along the defensive front to pair with Derrick Nnadi, Xavier Williams and Justin Hamilton in the middle. Breeland Speaks, Alex Okafor, Tanoh Kpassagnon, and Emmanuel Ogbah would rotate as defensive ends. Of course, the versatility of several players will give new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo some options to switch things up as he sees fit.

Tillery had 28 total tackles and 7 sacks last year for the Fighting Irish.