Cleveland Browns select Cedric Tillman in 3rd round of 2023 NFL Draft

In what was a breakout season for Tennessee on the offensive end, the results are now being shown at the 2023 NFL Draft. Wide receiver Cedric Tillman was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 74 overall pick in Kansas City. One of the SEC’s top pass catchers, Tillman is now off to the big leagues.

Tillman was one of many players who enjoyed success on Rocky Top this season. Head coach Josh Heupel brought belief back into the program and the passing game was a huge reason why. Quarterback Hendon Hooker was on point with Tillman and Jalin Hyatt for most of the year.

Despite playing in only six games, Tillman caught 37 passes for 417 yards and three touchdowns. Had he not suffered an ankle injury, the numbers would have flown off the charts. Even so, an impressive end to a solid career with the Vols.

Tillman played high school football at Las Vegas (LV) Bishop Gorman, where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 1,597 overall recruit in the 2018 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Cedric Tillman

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com gave out his scouting report on Tillman, talking about the strengths and weaknesses of the Tennessee product. Impressive performances against the SEC’s best teams were circled as a positive but the speed was something Zierlein was not impressed with.

“Highly competitive wideout with an enticing blend of size, skill and toughness that fits what teams look for in an NFL starter,” Zierlein said. “Tillman was a monster in 2021, ringing up impressive performances against the likes of Alabama and Georgia. He proved he could catch the ball through contact underneath while imposing his size and ball skills on opponents when pulling in the deep ball.

“He has average speed and needs to play with better explosiveness out of his breaks, as NFL windows will become much tighter on the first two levels. A high ankle sprain suffered in the third game of the season robbed him of a highly productive 2022, but his toughness to make it back early and compete late in the year has impressed evaluators.”

Micahel Pittman Jr. was the comparison made by Zierlein. If Tillman can kick his career off the same way Pittman did a few years ago, a solid prospect is entering the NFL.