Getty Jordan Mason drags through the Raiders defense on January 1, 2023.
The San Francisco 49ers are going to be in need of interior defensive line help with the start of free agency officially 17 days away.
Even as the league’s top defense, this trench group is facing the possibility of losing six defensive linemen — half of them representing the inside part of the 49ers’ trenches in Hassan Ridgeway, Maurice Hurst and restricted free agent Kevin Givens.
But if the 49ers direct their attention to free agency to see which pool of defenders they can snatch, Peter Panacy of FanSided offered this No. 1 suggestion to the 49ers on Sunday, February 26: They steer away from signing former $11 million defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, with Panacy saying the Niners “must avoid at all costs.”
Why Analyst Says Jerry Tillery Isn’t a Fit for the 49ers
Tillery will soon be on his third NFL franchise in five seasons. Panacy said there was once a time Tillery looked like a fit for the 49ers. But recent production is the reason to shy away.
“Defensive tackle Jerry Tillery might have been an intriguing option, having come from the Los Angeles Chargers, who ran a similar defense to that of San Francisco. Having flamed out there after being selected in Round 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft, Tillery’s brief campaign with the Las Vegas Raiders was merely average, at best,” Panacy wrote.
There was a time the towering 6-foot-6, 295-pound Tillery was a first-round talent. Lance Zierlein of nfl.com even used the phrases “first class traits” and “dominant potential” in his draft evaluation.
However, Zierlein added that Tillery was “still searching for more consistency from game to game.” And that consistency has rarely showed up in his four seasons.
Tillery has only produced 10.5 career sacks with his best total a 4.5 sack season with the L.A. Chargers in 2021. He also delivered a career-best six tackles behind the line of scrimmage that season. He then had a hard time starting a full season — with only 33 career starts out of 62 games of action per Pro Football Reference. The most starts he had was the 15 from that ’21 campaign.
The Chargers eventually released him from his four-year, $11.4 million deal and he signed with the rival Las Vegas Raiders.
Other Reason Why Jerry Tillery’s Name Was Mentioned
Why was Tillery labeled as a 49ers possibility by some fans and media? Arik Armstead and his increasing value.
“Beyond that, Armstead is going to be earning up to $24 million this season after a huge spike in his contract, and Tillery will likely be looking to cash in on his first NFL free agency period,” Panacy wrote.
Following his $11.4 million deal, Tillery would likely have to settle for a lesser deal after showing he’s been more of a flash player when called upon and has had trouble playing a full season.
In offseasons past, the 49ers have never been a major money dropper for interior defensive linemen even in their run of defensive success. Ridgeway was signed to a one-year deal while Charles Omenihu, Kerry Hyder Jr. and Samson Ebukam were on lesser-paying deals. Panacy believes the 49ers can look for cheaper options outside of Tillery.
“The 49ers need to search for cheaper options with potentially more upside, which isn’t easy but a smarter play than landing Tillery,” he said.