Instant Reaction: Browns get second-round value in the third round with Cedric Tillman

What ESPN’s NFL Draft analysts said after Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman was selected at No. 74 overall in the NFL Draft Friday night in Kansas City, picked in the third round by the Cleveland Browns.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: “Tillman, back in 2021, he was the guy. He was the main entity. He was the guy that was the go-to receiver. Georgia game that year, 10 catches for 200 yards and a touchdown against that talent-laden Georgia defense. Against Alabama, seven catches, for (152) and a touchdown. Bowl game against Purdue, seven catches for 153 yards and a touchdown. Comes into this year, all that momentum. Pitt game, nine catches for 162 yards and a touchdown. Then the high-ankle sprain against Akron Week 3, September 17th. Had the surgery, returned for the final three games of the seasons. (He’s) 6-3, 213 pounds with a 37 (inch) vertical and can run. He has the speed, he has the ability. I thought he was no worse in this draft than a second-round pick and Cleveland gets him at 74 in Round 3.”

ESPN’s Louis Riddick: “As long as you’re using him at what he excels at. The contested catcher. I mean, he is 6-3, 215 pounds. You can see he plays at about 4.5, 4.53. But down the field, against smaller defensive backs, he’s going to push them off and he is going to body them up and he’s going to make those tough plays outside as an X or a Z. So as long as you use him that way, you’ve got yourself a good football player as long as he’s healthy.”

ESPN’s Matt Miller: “Even after making the trade for Elijah Moore, the Browns had a need coming into this draft for a big, physical outside receiver. Tillman is that player. He will push Donovan Peoples-Jones for reps and could work his way into the starting lineup early in his career. Tillman’s work on slant routes and his jump-ball ability will play well opposite the possession-style Amari Cooper.”

Tillman had a breakout redshirt junior season in 2021, catching 64 passes for 1,081 yards — fifth most in Tennessee football history — and 12 touchdowns. Last season he was limited to just six games played due to a high-ankle sprain suffered in a 63-6 win over Akron in September at Neyland Stadium. Tillman caught 37 passes for 417 yards and three touchdowns over his final six games with the Vols.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Tillman was a three-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting cycle, ranked No. 1,592 overall in the On3 Consensus. He was the No. 251 overall wide receiver and the No. 12 overall prospect out of Nevada, where he attended Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas.

“Missed eight or nine games this year with injury,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said on Thursday. “He had no control of that. He’s handled it in such a great way. He was a great teammate inside of this building every single day. Huge part of the turnaround here. I don’t know that I would describe him as under the radar, with the amount of calls I’ve gotten. I think he’s continuing to pick up steam and (I’m) expecting him to have his name called really early. 

“Special to have two wide outs (Tillman and Jalin Hyatt) that are going to go as early as those two guys are. They’re different in the play style a little bit, but both are going to have great careers. Ced is obviously big, strong, great catch radiums and knows how to use his body extremely well.”