Cedric Tillman Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Mark Humphrey/AP Photo)

School: Tennessee (Senior)

Position: WR

HT: 6’3

WT: 215 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #60

Cedric Tillman is an incredibly physical receiver. He really plays into the big body X receiver who can come down with any 50/50 ball. The amount of ground that Tillman can cover due to his size is greater than most receivers at the collegiate level. Tillman does a great job at the breakpoint of his routes to turn back towards the ball and either see it in or come back to get it. While you might not expect a receiver of Tillman’s stature to be as solid of a route runner as the smaller and more agile players, Tillman is an exception. He can stack corners and quickly break or accelerate on the outside. Many scouts have said that one of his biggest weaknesses is his lack of speed. And while I recognize that he is not one of the speediest guys, I do not think it is a weakness of his game. Every game of Tillman’s seemed to have a play in which he burned a corner on a go route. Tillman has large hands and long arms, and he uses them to his advantage, allowing him to make plays on 50/50 balls. Tillman has some of the stickiest hands in the draft, allowing him to haul in footballs that you would not think to be catchable. Tillman also has great body control. On deep balls he does not slow down and turn around in order to make the catch, instead he keeps his stride and shows late hands to make it near impossible for cornerbacks to time up the ball well. However, Tillman does not come without his flaws. He is not a willing blocker in the run game, he actually seems quite uninterested in that aspect of the game. While Tillman has speed, he doesn’t have the quick change of direction ability that others at his position have. For the most part, Tillman can only create separation on go routes. The 5th year senior also has a limited route tree going into the NFL. As Joe Marino pointed out he only aligned on the right side of the Tennessee offense. This makes him less versatile than you would like from a 5th year senior.

Scheme Fit: Spread Offense

Ideal Role: X Receiver

Best Team Fits: NE, KC, JAX

Player Comparison: Jakobi Meyers

Player Grade: 78.1