Packers 2023 Draft Prospects to Know: Tennessee WR Cedric Tillman
By Paul Bretl
Between now and when the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft takes place on April 28th, I will be highlighting as many potential draft prospects as I can, specifically ones that could be of interest to the Green Bay Packers. Up first is Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman.
From a height and weight standpoint, Tillman screams “Green Bay Packer,” fitting that big-bodied mold that the organization typically covets. Tillman measured in at 6’3″ and weighed 213 pounds while posting an elite Relative Athletic Score of 9.51. This included a 4.54-second 40-yard dash, “great” measurements in the vertical and broad jump, although he did not do any agility drills.
Tillman spent most of his career at Tennessee as a boundary target. He played just six games in 2022 but was still targeted an incredible 59 times, including 18 times in one game and 19 times in another.
In 2021, Tillman would catch 75% of his 76 targets at 16.3 yards per catch with nine touchdowns. This included a 152-yard performance against Alabama and a 200-yard game against Georgia. Tillman has shown that he can win downfield while also being able to win closer to the line of scrimmage.
Tillman is the eighth-ranked receiver in this year’s class by The Draft Network and the 54th-ranked player overall. For more on his game, here is what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote:
"“Highly competitive wideout with an enticing blend of size, skill and toughness that fits what teams look for in an NFL starter. 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.”"
Wide receiver is again a big need for the Green Bay Packers. With only Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Samori Toure, Bo Melton, and Jeff Cotton under contract currently, depth is a huge need. However, this is a position group that could also use more consistent playmaking as well. Hopefully, that comes with Watson and Doubs making Year 2 jumps, but even so, the Packers need a third and fourth option to complement those two.
At the NFL Owners’ meetings, Matt LaFleur told reporters that there isn’t a route that he doesn’t believe Doubs can’t run, and Watson’s route package in Year 2 is going to expand. Add in Tillman, who has been effective at multiple levels of the field, and pre-snap, it’s going to be difficult for opposing defenses to determine which Packers’ receiver is doing what–and that, of course, is a good thing for the Green Bay offense.