As defensive tackle Jerry Tillery enters his third season, the hope is that he’s able to supply the defense with a dominant presence up front.
Yet to really live up to his first round billing, Tillery has been working hard to master his craft and be a consistent force in the trenches. His teammate, Linval Joseph, believes this is the season where it all comes together.
“He’s taking it to another level,” Joseph said. He’s in the weight room. He’s studying more. He’s got some more questions. And I think he’s hungry. I think he’s ready to take that next step to be an elite rusher.”
At training camp, Tillery’s game has looked a lot more polished.
After an underwhelming rookie season, Tillery made some strides in 2020. His ascend came when he was kicked outside and experimented as a defensive end, showing more flashes as a pass rusher.
While he ran into penalty problems, Tillery saw his tackles (17 to 30), sacks (two to three), quarterback hits (three to 14), pressures (nine to 22) and forced fumbles (zero to two) all uptick from Year 1.
Looking ahead, Tillery is in a prime position to take the leap in a defense that caters to his skillset and play for Brandon Staley, who will put him in favorable matchups and give him more opportunities to disrupt plays.
“I am a really big fan of Jerry Tillery’s game,” Staley said. “I think this guy is a versatile inside player. This guy’s got real size, speed.