Notre Dame Football: Top 5 prospects for 2019 NFL Draft

4. Jerry Tillery, Defensive tackle

While it seems like an eternity ago, we are less than two years removed from this dirty play by Jerry Tillery in Notre Dame’s 2016 loss to USC:

However, maturity has been a point of emphasis for Tillery since this incident. While he has certainly improved mentally, it’s been his play on the field that has garnered scouts’ attention.

Tillery, who is currently a senior, was expected by many to declare for the 2018 NFL Draft following his uptick in production over the course of last season. After compiling 49 tackles and one sack in his first two years combined, Tillery put together quite the season in 2017, totaling 56 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.

However, Tillery announced that he would be returning for at least one more year before declaring for the draft. Former defensive coordinator Mike Elko’s system clearly benefited Tillery, so it makes sense as to why he would return for a second year in the same system under defensive coordinator Clark Lea.

Maturity concerns appear to be in the past for Tillery and his camp, giving him the perfect opportunity to improve his draft stock in 2018. With that said, Tillery should be an enticing option in the defensive interior barring any significant setbacks this season.