One Vikings Player Hoping to Rejuvenate His Career Seems to Be Impressing So Far
This offseason, the Vikings have been faced with a number of questions regarding their roster construction.
While just about every position has faced uncertainty and one point or another prior to free agency or the draft, the defensive tackle position has been one that folks have kept a particularly close eye on.
Ahead of Minnesota’s first preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders, the team released its initial “unofficial” depth chart. Via that depth chart, it appears that one Vikings player who is hoping to rejuvenate his career at the defensive tackle spot appears to have impressed Minnesota’s coaching staff.
One Viking Hoping to Rejuvenate His Career Seems to Be Impressing So Far
That Viking is Jerry Tillery, who was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, picked 28th overall.
Tillery earned that draft status after a superb collegiate career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Tillery spent four seasons at Notre Dame, but his final two seasons of 2017 and 2018 were what solidified his status as a first-round pick.
Over those two years, Tillery put together 86 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles.
Unfortunately, through Tillery’s first five seasons at the NFL level, he hasn’t quite lived up to that status. During Tillery’s rookie season, he started just three games and played just 39% of the Chargers’ defensive snaps over 15 games.
It should be mentioned that Tillery took steps forward in both 2020 and 2021, starting 26 games over the two seasons and putting together 81 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles. This performance wasn’t enough for the Chargers to accept his fifth-year option, though. Then in November 2022, he was waived by Los Angeles.
Ironically enough, Tiller then landed with the Las Vegas Raiders, who claimed him off waivers. However, that landing spot led to much of the same over about 1.5 seasons. In 25 games (10 starts) with the Raiders, Tillery recorded 31 tackles, two tackles for loss, and two sacks.
Now, though, Tillery is listed as the third defensive tackle on the Vikings’ roster.
There is a pretty decent chance that Tillery gets some playing time against his old team this weekend, and it will be very interesting to see if Minnesota can be the spot where he revives his career.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference and Sports Reference CFB.
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