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With the return of Ndamukong Suh up in the air, could Notre Dame’s Jerry Tillery be a player of interest to the #Rams as a potential day one starter? My look at who the Rams might be targeting with the 31st pick in the first round: https://t.co/EyCqaf0Fgq
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) March 12, 2019
AgamemnonHow about Jay Bromley?
http://www.nfl.com/player/jaybromley/2543860/profile
Bromley is still out there, he is considered 6’3″ 314. Bromley 26 years old, played for both the Giants and Saints, won’t cost much, maybe $1 Million at most, and would provide nice depth. Wonder if the Rams are looking at him as well as a possibility?
https://www.bluechipscouting.com/articles/better-than-advertised-khalen-saunders
BLUE CHIP SCOUTING
Better than Advertised: Khalen Saunders
Measurables:
Height: 6’1
Weight: 320
School: Western Illinois
Class: Redshirt Senior
The strength of this year’s defensive line class has been doubted in the recent weeks, and maybe rightly so. At one point this class was viewed as one of the best ever, but due to a combination of players returning to school and others failing to perform to preseason expectations, it has fallen a little flat. However, I still believe this is one of the stronger classes in recent memory. One of the biggest reasons is Western Illinois’ Khalen Saunders. Saunders dominated FCS play this season and deservedly received an invitation to both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.
Pros:
Functional Play Strength – All you have to do is watch 60 seconds of Saunders’ tape and it is evident that he is the strongest player on the field. He repeatedly tosses offensive lineman around and was a terror against runs up the middle.
Name: Khalen Saunders
Status: GROWN MAN pic.twitter.com/F6XwpOTAr7— Carter Donnick (@CDonScouting) January 24, 2019
Versatility – At Western Illinois, Saunders lined up all over the field. Whether he was a shaded 0-tech, traditional 3-tech, or even occasionally stood up as an edge rusher, Saunders did it all. He was commonly asked to play a two-gap on early downs, but was effective when asked to get up field and after the quarterback.
Lmao @ Western Illinois using Khalen Saunders (#99) as a stand up rusher on 3rd & 15 OH WAIT WHAT?! pic.twitter.com/xGHreV3qJh
— Michael Kist (@MichaelKistNFL) February 16, 2019
Pass Rush Moves/Hand Fighting – Already has a number of pass rush moves at his disposal including a push-pull, club-rip, and even a spin now and again. Saunders has active and effective hands that are crucial for any defensive lineman.
Eyes – Saunders does an excellent job of locating the ball and getting after it. Some defensive linemen focus too much on getting past their blocker that they don’t follow the ball. Saunders doesn’t and does an excellent job consistently locating the ball and flying towards it.
Athleticism – For being 320 pounds, Saunders moves incredibly well for his body size, displaying his elite athletic ability. He lists “tumbling” as one of his hobbies and it shows in his ability to move so well, best highlighted by his capability to do backflips. Saunders is extremely quick and it shows in the way he is able to chase down ball carriers. I expect him to perform well at the upcoming NFL Combine.
“LiNeMeN ARnT AtHLeTeS”
Tell that to 320-pound, Western Illinois DT Khalen Saunders… @khalenNOTkaylen pic.twitter.com/TOzZwetmgQ
— The Big Guy (@WeAreBigGuys) January 16, 2019
Cons:
Competition – I always say scout the player, not the helmet. Saunders may have dominated in college, but it was at a lower level than most of the other prospects who will get drafted. There is not enough justification to lower his draft stock by much (if at all) but it’s something to watch for as his jump to the NFL could be more difficult than others.
Get Off – Saunder was asked to play a lot of two-gap in school, so I don’t know how much of this was due to that, but he does seem a tad slow off the snap. He makes up for it with great speed and strength, but if an NFL guard has half a second on you, he won’t hesitate to bury you.
Pad Level – Occasionally plays too high, and while it didn’t affect him much at school due to him tossing around FCS guards, leverage is everything in the trenches in the NFL. He has shown flashes of playing extremely low and will need to make those flashes consistent in order to play effectively at the next level.
Base/Anchor – This issue is also partly due to playing too high up, but Saunders can occasionally find himself getting washed by a double team. If he feels he’s getting pushed back, he should grab jerseys and fall to create a pileup in the middle of the line of scrimmage.
Verdict: Saunders is a rare blend of athleticism and size. I honestly believe that had he gone to an SEC school, we would be talking about him as a potential first-round pick. I expect him to test as well as any defensive tackle at the combine. He can play in both a one-gap and two-gap scheme. Saunders is just as effective getting downfield rushing the passer as he is doing the dirty work in the trenches and clogging up the running lanes. I would like to see him work on staying low more consistently to establish better leverage and focus on getting upfield a bit quicker, but there’s nothing that tells me he won’t be a successful defensive tackle at the next level. Who knows, maybe he’ll even get a snap or two at edge rusher.
Pro Comp: Kawaan Short, Carolina Panthers
Short and Saunders have a very similar body type. Both are big enough to play nose tackle but athletic enough to play anywhere on the defensive front. They both have exceptional play strength and use their quick hands to shed blockers.
Best Team Fit: Denver Broncos
Saunders would fit well with a Broncos team that needs an influx of youth in the defensive interior. He could replace Domata Peko as the early down nose tackle, and then work next to Derek Wolfe from the sub package on passing downs.
Positional Ranking: DL4
Grade: Second Round
Matt Valdovinos
February 22, 2019I would rather the #Rams draft one of: Daniel Wise, Renell Wren, Khalen Saunders or Trysten Hill with their second pick instead of using a first on Dexter Lawrence. 🤷♂️
— Jake Oliver Ellenbogen (@JKBogenDTR) March 25, 2019
AgamemnonEd Oliver's pass-rushing grade drastically increased when he wasn't rushing the passer from the NT spot while at Houston.
We chronicle how his usage on the Houston DLine may have held him back in college 🔽🔽https://t.co/2lH8ewYqvI pic.twitter.com/gsx1z6CGeX
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) March 28, 2019
Agamemnonhttps://www.profootballfocus.com/news/draft-jerry-tillery-is-elite-top-10-prospect
Jerry Tillery is an elite player, deserves a place in the top-10 conversation
By Michael Renner • Mar 29, 2019
Sep 10, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Julian Love (27) defensive lineman Jerry Tillery (99) and the Notre Dame leprechaun celebrate after Notre Dame defeated the Nevada Wolf Pack 39-10 at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY SportsWhen it comes to the top 10 of the NFL draft, general managers want rare talents. Players with certain skills that make you think they can be an elite player in the NFL. I’m here to tell you that Notre Dame defensive tackle Jerry Tillery is one of them. You’d be hard pressed to see many talking about Tillery in the top-10 conversation, but from a size, athleticism and production standpoint, Tillery is the most accomplished defensive tackle in this class after Alabama’s Quinnen Williams.
You may be thinking, “he only had 12.5 sacks in his career and seven sacks last year, how is that elite production?” (hopefully not though because you are reading this on PFF.com after all). The Notre Dame defensive lineman is a fantastic case study on what one considers ‘production.’ Is it sacks and tackles for loss? Pressures and stops? PFF grade? While the first couple are still counting stats, the PFF grade takes into account every single interaction along the line of scrimmage — even the times when a defender beats an offensive lineman but didn’t record a tackle or a pressure.
That’s why, despite ranking third among interior players in total pressures with 48, Tillery tied Williams for the highest pass-rushing grade at the position in college football. A big reason why is because Tillery had 32 such wins as a pass-rusher that didn’t result in a pressure — the most among all interior defenders in college football. When it comes to winning one-on-one interactions, Tillery is as good as it gets.
So why the distinct lack of hype? Truthfully, I’m not sure. The NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah notes that ‘he is a very streaky player on tape…he just needs to become more consistent’ as his biggest knock. Lance Zierlein notes that Tillery is ‘raw with his hands and hasn’t learned to properly weaponize them in his rush attack.’ Reading those criticisms only makes me like Tillery more. If Tillery truly is inconsistent and raw yet still produced at the highest level we’ve seen from a college interior defender, just think what he could become if coaches can fix those issues at the NFL level.
I’ve heard a lot of similar criticisms before. The same things were said about the player who owns the third highest single-season pass-rushing grade we’ve ever seen from a college interior defender. Mississippi State’s 6-6, 310-pound defensive tackle Chris Jones fell to the second round because of inconsistent effort concerns and a lack of ball production. All Jones did was become a plus pass-rusher the first day he stepped on an NFL field and rack up 15.5 sacks this past season with the Chiefs. The scary thing is, that between Jones and Tillery, the latter tested out as a far superior athlete. Tillery bested Jones 40-yard dash (4.93 vs 5.03), vertical (32.0” vs 29.5”), broad (9-7 vs 8-10) and short shuttle (4.33 vs 4.62) while barely losing in the 3-cone (7.45 vs 7.44).
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Tillery should hands down be seen as one of the elite prospects in the upcoming class and if he falls out of the top 10 someone will get a steal. Agamemnon
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