Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Newest Raider Tillery could be a difference-maker on defensive line

Raiders coach Josh McDaniels has high expectations for former Charger defensive tackle

jerry tillery

Kyusung Gong / AP, file

Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Jerry Tillery runs against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif. The Las Vegas Raiders claimed Tillery off waivers last week.

With three sacks and four quarterback hits in last week’s win over the Broncos, the Raiders are coming off perhaps their best performance of the year in terms of pressuring opposing quarterbacks.

Asked how the team could maintain such success in an area that’s been a weakness all season, coach Josh McDaniels brought up a surprising name before any others. It was neither Maxx Crosby, who had two sacks against the Broncos to bring his total to nine of the year, nor Chandler Jones, whom signed a $51 million contract to come to the Raiders this season.

McDaniels instead mentioned new defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, a former first-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers whom the Raiders claimed off waivers last week.

“He’s an active guy,” McDaniels said of Tillery after the game. “He’s long, he’s strong and I think the more he works in the scheme with the players that are there, hopefully the better he can get and improve.”

Tillery practiced only twice with the Raiders before debuting with the team in Denver, playing 12 snaps and not registering any statistics, but should have a larger role going forward. He may even start or at least rotate in frequently on passing downs when Las Vegas plays at Seattle with kickoff set for 1:05 p.m. on Sunday.

The Raiders rank last in the league with only 13 sacks on the year, and none of them have come from interior defensive linemen. Tillery is known as better pass-rusher than run-stuffer whereas established starters Andrew Billings and Bilal Nichols have been better at the latter this season so they should be able to complement each other.

“The guys have been there to help me out so I feel good about my role,” Tillery said. “I’m looking forward to expanding that to help us win.”

The Raiders initially attempted to acquire Tillery at the trade deadline, according to a report from NFL Network. The 6-foot-6, 295-pound fourth-year pro had fallen out of favor with the Chargers where he lost the starting job he had held for the past two years in training camp.

Los Angeles reportedly drew several offers for Tillery but none of them were enough compensation to give up on what the franchise saw as a repairable relationship. Those hopes diminished, however, when starting Chargers defensive tackle Austin Johnson went down with an injury and the coaching staff decided to open the job up to competition instead of slotting in Tillery, according to ESPN.

“It just became clear that it wasn’t going to be a fit anymore,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley told ESPN. “Where we’re headed as a team wasn’t going to be compatible with Jerry and where he’s trying to go.”

The discord that ended Tillery’s time with the Chargers clearly didn’t scare away many other NFL teams, as eight franchises put in a waiver claim on him after he was released per ESPN. The Raiders had the worst record at the time, however, to land Tillery over the likes of other suitors such as the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs.

Tillery was happy to head to Las Vegas, and not just because it meant reuniting with former Charger defensive teammates Denzel Perryman and Roderic Teamer. It also allowed him to skip the customary flight to a new city, and instead just pile into his car and head to the I-15 on Monday night in order to arrive before Wednesday morning’s practice.

“There wasn’t time to feel anything,” Tillery said. “I hit the ground running…away we go. I was with (defensive line coach Frank Okam) going over the playbook. They were eager to get me in, and I was eager to accept what to do to help us win.”

The Chargers selected Tillery out of Notre Dame with the 28th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, one spot behind recently-cut Raider Johnathan Abram, but he never quite lived up to his high draft slot with the team. Much like the Raiders with their three first-round picks from that year, the Chargers declined to exercise his fifth-year option this offseason.

But he’s still flashed the potential that once made him a coveted player and put his aspirations of becoming a doctor out of college on hold. Sometimes a player with that much skill just needs a change of scenery, and Las Vegas is hoping it can fill the role for Tillery.

“I hope he’s going to get more comfortable this week and then going forward as well,” McDaniels said of Tillery helping to get to quarterbacks more often. “It’s just guys being able to go in there and help somebody else get to the middle of the pocket and get to the passer. Somebody’s got to go take one for the team sometimes so somebody else can come free. That’s just the nature of pass rush and I thought our guys made some strides last week.”

McDaniels has stressed that much of the second half of the Raiders’ season will be about evaluation and figuring out which players have a long-term future with team. Tillery certainly fits in that category, as he’s seeking a fresh start and new NFL home.

He might have taken an unconventional path to Las Vegas, but he likes what he’s seen so far.

“These guys are hungry,” Tillery said. “They’re hungry to win. I’m here to help us do that.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or

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