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Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman was taken by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 74 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Tillman is the first pick the Browns made in this year’s draft, and goes right after teammate Jalin Hyatt.
Cedric Tillman began his college career as a three-star recruit in 2018, when he was redshirted and played four games his first year. He played through the 2022 season before declaring for the 2023 NFL draft ahead of the Orange Bowl. Tillman comes from an NFL bloodline as his father played for the Denver Broncos and the Jacksonville Jaguars in the early to mid-1990s.
Tillman played five seasons for the Volunteers, playing 44 games with 21 starts. He caught 109 passes for 1,622 yards while finding the end zone 17 times in his five seasons at Tennessee. His final season saw him play in only six games after he suffered a high ankle injury in Week 3, but he still finished the 2022 season with 417 yards from 37 passes and three touchdowns.
Cedric Tillman: Scouting Report
Tillman stands at 6’3” and 213 pounds, giving him the size and strength needed to be a competitive wideout. He doesn’t necessarily have the explosive speed you see from plenty of top-tier receivers, but he has plenty of build-up speed and can pull away from defenders as he stretches the field.
He’ll be looking to make it back to his 2021 form after the ankle injury hampered his time in 2022 significantly. 2021 was the pinnacle of his college career as he caught 64 passes for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Tillman has strong and dependable hands combined with the ability to catch a lot of balls in highly crowded areas. He has plenty of body control and can break tackles with his size and strength.
Mock Draft landing spots
Tillman is being projected as either a second- or third-round selection by draft analysts. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has him going No. 44 to the Atlanta Falcons in the second while ESPN’s Todd McShay has him going No. 66 to the Arizona Cardinals in the third.
Fantasy football implications
While Tillman has plenty of work to do to be a top receiver in the NFL, he should be able to have a strong showing in his rookie year as long as he can avoid another injury that would limit his playing time. He will have some trouble adjusting to the quality of play in the NFL, especially with experienced corners, but his size and acceleration can help him rack up the receiving yards when he’s given the chance with a good amount of targets.