Jerry Tillery practicing with starters at training camp
Los Angeles Chargers first-round pick Jerry Tillery was seen Tuesday practicing with the starters at training camp. Tillery looks to be a big boost to the Chargers defensive line this upcoming season.
The big news out of Chargers camp Tuesday is that this years 28th overall pick Jerry Tillery was seen getting reps in with the first-team defense. Tillery had previously gotten some reps on August 4th, and is trying to get back up to speed after missing the entire offseason due to shoulder surgery. The Chargers are looking for their first-round pick to be a big help to what was an average at best interior defensive line last season.
Tillery earned an elite 91.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus along with ranking fifth in overall pass-rush productivity in his final season with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He will likely line up alongside Brandon Mebane on the interior (with Damion Square, Justin Jones, and possibly fellow draftee Cortez Broughton taking some snaps to ease the load) and the Joey Bosa-Melvin Ingram tandem bringing pressure from the outside on every snap.
Along with that, Tillery without a doubt softens the blow of losing Darius Philon to the Arizona Cardinals in free agency this past offseason.
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Now that Tillery is finally starting to get some first-team reps, the Chargers and their fans are looking to have one of the league’s most fearsome defensive lines in the 2019 season and beyond.
If Tillery can show the skill and talent he showed while at Notre Dame, the defensive line will be something the league will have to take notice of, or else quarterbacks everywhere will have to pay the price.