Former Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman has been selected with the 74th overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.
Tillman is the fourth Vol off the board in the draft and the third Vol in round three. Tillman’s selection comes just six picks after the Lions took Hendon Hooker and one pick after the New York Giants selected wide receiver Jalin Hyatt.
In Cleveland, Tillman joins fellow former Vols QB Joshua Dobbs and RB John Kelly Jr. on the roster.
The Las Vegas, Nevada, native enters the NFL after five seasons on Rocky Top.
The 23-year-old broke out in his redshirt-junior season in 2021, racking up 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns on 64 receptions, leading the Vols in all categories.
Tillman dealt with an ankle injury that hindered him for a majority of the 2022 season, as the VFL only played in six games. In those six contests, Tillman recorded 417 yards and three scores on 37 receptions.
Tillman’s best game during his final season at Tennessee came on the road against Pitt. In the first ranked win of Tennessee’s tremendous season, Tillman caught nine passes for 162 yards, both seasons highs, and a touchdown.
After missing over a month between Tennessee’s week three contest against Akron and week eight game against Kentucky, Tillman played in three of the final five regular season games.
After a limited outing against Kentucky where Tillman only had 22 yards, he followed it up with a 7-68 line in a loss at No. 2 Georgia, leading the team in both categories.
"a big guy who plays big" 💪
love the sound of that pic.twitter.com/Wecm2tLmlw
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 29, 2023
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The final game Tillman played in orange and white was Tennessee’s 63-38 loss to South Carolina in mid-November, where the VFL caught nine passes for 81 yards and a season-high two touchdowns. Tillman sat out the season finale at Vanderbilt and did not participate in the Capital One Orange Bowl against Clemson.
Additionally, Tillman did not play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl as he continued to work his way back to 100%.
Tillman did take part in the NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran an impressive 4.54 40-yard-dash. Tillman continued his strong offseason with an impressive showing at Tennessee’s pro day in front of a plethora of NFL scouts. While 40-yard dash times were not made public, Tillman demonstrated solid route running and made a handful of incredible catches along the sideline.
There is no doubt that Tillman has all the physical attributes to succeed at the next level. Tillman plays bigger than his 6-foot-3 frame, isn’t taken down easily at 215-pounds, has above-average hands, and defensive backs cannot take his speed lightly. The former Vol has a high ceiling that, if he stays healthy, he can certainly reach in the pros.
Dawg incoming 🙌
Welcome to the fam, @Ctillman04!!#NflDraft | #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/zdiSGT3E9S
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 29, 2023
