Notre Dame Football: Jerry Tillery taken by Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL Draft
By Ben Belden
Projected as a late-1st or early-2nd round NFL Draft pick, Notre Dame football alumnus Jerry Tillery was selected 28th overall by the Los Angeles Chargers.
After Jerry Tillery was selected 28th overall by the Los Angeles Chargers, Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly tweeted, calling Tillery “Notre Dame’s most interesting man.”
Tillery certainly is an interesting character, who recently has become known for his off-the-field pursuits, as well as being a beast on the field, will be a tremendous fit for the Chargers.
In his career at Notre Dame, Tillery made waves for being a consistent beast in the middle of the Notre Dame defense. He finished his Notre Dame career with 135 total tackles, 13.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles. A versatile defensive lineman, Tillery is known for being a force in the middle against the run. But what makes Tillery a truly unique interior defensive tackle is his pass-rushing abilities.
Even with the multiple well-renowned pass rushers on Notre Dame’s roster last season, Tillery lead the Irish in sacks, tallying 7.5 sacks on the season. Without a doubt, Tillery’s most dominant game came against Stanford, where he notched 4 sacks and forced 2 fumbles.
Tillery goes to a very good Chargers team that has taken strides to bolster its defense. The Chargers already boast great pass rushers on the outside in defensive ends Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. With the departure of incumbent defensive tackle Darius Philon, Tillery will have the opportunity to join a well-rounded defensive line.
If his NFL career goes anything like his college career went, Tillery will get his fair share of one-on-one matchups with offensive guards and he will spend a great deal of time in the backfield making plays.
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Tillery is the first Notre Dame defensive player to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft since safety Harrison Smith was selected with the 29th overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. He’s the first defensive lineman to be selected from Notre Dame in the first round since Renaldo Wynn was selected 21st in 1997.