Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Early April mid-week mock draft featuring a trade!

Round 2, Pick 39: Jerry Tillery, DL, Notre Dame

Here early in the second, the Buccaneers grab an interior defensive lineman to potentially replace Gerald McCoy, who looks like his days in Tampa Bay are numbered. To say that Jerry Tillery is massive is an understatement, and in Bowles’ 3-4 defensive scheme, he may be an ideal fit as an interior defensive end.

At the combine, Tillery measured in at 6’6½ and 295 pounds with nearly 11 inch hands. He went on to test off of the charts, ranking in the 80th percentile or above in every athletic test except the 3-cone drill, where he still fell in the 73rd percentile. Tillery managed to hit 23 reps on the bench press as well, but here is the kicker, he did it with a torn labrum.

There is potential that Tillery may not see the field for an extended period of time, which may cause him to slip into the early second round. However, with his size, speed, and agility, he will be a force once he does step on the field. With the writing appearing to be on the wall for McCoy, the Buccaneers may not have to wait long to find his replacement in the Notre Dame defensive lineman Tillery.