Love and Tillery Listed In Top 50 NFL Draft Prospects By NFL.com
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah released his Top 50 NFL Draft prospects on Tuesday morning as the Senior Bowl kicks off in Mobile, Ala.
Daniel Jeremiah's top 50 prospects for 2019 NFL Draft 1.0
Notre Dame was well represented as cornerback Julian Love and defensive lineman Jerry Tilley made the list.
Love, a consensus All-American, checked in at No. 45 after he recorded 63 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, one interception and 16 pass deflections in 2018.
Jeremiah on Love:
“Love has average size/speed, but he has fantastic instincts, ball skills and toughness. He played inside and outside in Notre Dame's scheme, but I'm projecting him as a pure nickel at the next level. He has outstanding foot quicks and is very fluid. He relies on his instincts to properly position himself to make plays on the ball. His lack of deep speed (see: Michigan game) is a concern when lined up outside, but it hasn't been an issue inside. He is outstanding versus the run. He is aggressive to attack the line of scrimmage and is a physical tackler. Overall, Love reminds me a lot of Desmond King when he was coming out of Iowa, and I see him having similar success as a starting nickel corner.”
Tillery, who returned to school for his senior season, comes in at No. 46 on Jeremiah’s list. The 6-foot-6, 305-pounder recorded 28 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks in the fall.
Jeremiah on Tillery:
“Tillery has rare height/length for the position. He is a very streaky player on tape. As a pass rusher, there are games where he dominates (see: Stanford game, when he logged four sacks) with a combination of quick hands, power and effort. However, there are other games where he's content to hang on blocks and play too high. In the run game, he flashes the ability to stack, toss and pursue the ball. He still needs to lower his pad level, but rarely gives ground at the point of attack. Overall, Tillery isn't going to fit every team, but he shows some flashes similar to DeForest Buckner. He just needs to become more consistent.”
Notable NFL Draft Dates
NFL Combine: Feb. 26th-March 4th
NFL Draft: April 25th-April 27th