The Las Vegas Raiders are set to release defensive end Jerry Tillery, according to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and he’s someone that the Pittsburgh Steelers may have an interest in when free agency opens.
For one, the Steelers had a heavy presence at his Pro Day in 2019, with former GM Kevin Colbert attending, as well as now-defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, along with Phil Kriedler and Dan Rooney Jr. Tillery was a first-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers that year, but he was released in the middle of the 2022 season and then latched on with the Raiders.
At this point, Tillery is nothing more than a rotational defensive lineman, but at 6’6 and 295 pounds, he has ideal size and the Steelers need to add some depth to their defensive line this offseason. Omar Khan has talked about the importance of handling Cameron Heyward with care after he missed time with an injury in 2023, and the Steelers dealt with some depth issues along the line last season with DeMarvin Leal in particular underperforming when given an opportunity.
Tillery had the 34th-highest PFF grade of all defensive linemen with at least 400 snaps, posting a 67.7 overall grade last season, easily the highest mark of his career. He got an opportunity to start early in his career with the Chargers but never developed into the player they thought he could. He has since served mainly in a backup role, although he did have six starts for the Raiders last season.
It’s the type of signing that the Steelers love to make. A former high draft pick who hasn’t panned out but has proven himself to be a solid rotational piece that the Steelers can mold and work with. He wouldn’t be expensive, either, as he was set to earn $3.8 million in 2024, but following his release, he’ll likely get less than that on the open market. It’s also a weak defensive line class in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, so if the Steelers want to add to their D-line and improve it without spending an early pick, free agency is the way to go, and Tillery could be an ideal fit as starter-capable depth coming off the best season of his career.
Tillery played 45% of Las Vegas’ defensive snaps last season and logged six quarterback hits. That’s the most he’s had since he had 14 as a full-time starter with the Chargers in 2021 while also racking up 31 tackles and two sacks. Signing him is a low-risk move that will bolster the defensive line room and bring in a player who the Steelers had interest in dating back to his college days.
