Most intriguing x-factors on the LA Chargers: DT Jerry Tillery
Jerry Tillery is another player that Charger fans do not seem too thrilled with heading into the 2020 season and that was because of the immensely disappointing rookie season that he had with the Bolts in 2019.
Tillery was a weird draft pick for the Chargers as well. You definitely cannot deny that the team needed a defensive tackle, so the pick made sense in that regard. However, heading into the draft, not many Charger fans knew who Tillery was, so when he was selected, it was a mixed bag of emotions.
Personally, I was upset the team didn’t draft Nasir Adderley. Little did I know that they would draft him in the second round.
Tillery could be a huge impact player for the LA Chargers if he can figure out how to be a consistent pass-rusher at the NFL level. That was the biggest concern around him when he came into the league: at his best he was elite but he had the tendency to disappear in games at Notre Dame.
Having just an above-average pass-rushing defensive tackle alongside Linval Joseph, Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa could be huge. The focus is naturally going to be on Bosa, Ingram and Joseph and Tillery will be getting favorable matchups, especially if Bosa gets doubled.
That could lead to Tillery taking a huge leap forward in 2020… or he could continue to not contribute much.
Don’t give up on Tillery, though, as it is far too early for that. Melvin Ingram was not that great in his first three years as a pro.