49ers 2019 NFL Draft prospect profile: Defensive lineman Jerry Tillery

The San Francisco 49ers have been linked to Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in the 2019 NFL Draft. But a poor man’s option could be Notre Dame’s Jerry Tillery if the Niners take a similar strategy but trade down or hold out to Round 2.

You’re probably not going to hear the San Francisco 49ers call Notre Dame defensive lineman Jerry Tillery‘s name during the 2019 NFL Draft.

After all, the Niners are already stockpiled along the defensive line’s interior, and only a game-changing talent — such as Alabama’s Quinnen Williams — would be worth spending a high-profile pick on.

That said, there are reasons to suggest Tillery isn’t that far off from a player of Williams’ caliber.

Case in point, Pro Football Focus ranked Tillery the No. 2 overall interior D-lineman behind Williams and, surprisingly, the No. 7 overall prospect on their recently released top-50 big board.

Here’s what PFF said about the four-year collegiate standout:

"Tillery tied Quinnen Williams for the highest pass-rushing grade among interior defenders in college football. Tillery’s sack totals don’t tell the whole story as he was a dominant week in and week out."

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 4/1/2019.

Like Williams, signs point to Tillery being a quality interior disruptive presence. And if the Niners were looking to add a player like that and choose not to make it Williams, should Tillery at least be a part of the discussion?

Let’s take a look.

Jerry Tillery’s Strengths

At 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds, Tillery’s frame suggests a prospect with plenty of upside. He’s both strong and fast, having ran a 4.93 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine. His three-cone drill time of 7.45 seconds wasn’t particularly great, but one can envision the short-precision interior rushes he’d project to make at the pro level as a strength.

That interior bull rush is actually his strength, and he has more than a few pass-rushing moves to keep blockers on their heels.

Those are made even more potent with his 34 1/4-inch arms, which give plenty of issues to short-armed offensive linemen.

Jerry Tillery’s Weaknesses

The agility drill is telling, and one of the bigger knocks against Tillery is he’s not always the best at changing directions.

This is especially apparent against shiftier players, such as running backs, which can make him something of a liability in run defense.

There are also some issues with his technique, and it’s not totally uncommon seeing him having footwork problems. Tillery is vulnerable to quicker offensive linemen, too, and will struggle with penetration against technically sound blockers.

On top of that, Tillery did have a team suspension back in 2015, so that’s something to monitor.

How He Fits with the 49ers

This is more of a hypothetical pick for San Francisco than anything else. Assume, for a moment, the Niners either trade down from No. 2 overall and secure a later pick in Round 1. Or, after grabbing an edge rusher at No. 2, the 49ers sit back and look to address the interior of the defensive line early in Round 2.

Perhaps Tillery winds up being a target there, although many a mock draft currently has him on the fringes of the first and second round.

Essentially, Tillery looks like a poor man’s version of Williams, which isn’t a bad thing.

The only question for San Francisco is whether or not the team would consider adding a player for the defensive interior if it’s not Williams.

Probably not, but it’s at least worth thinking about.