Former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Cedric Tillman is entering his fourth season with the Cleveland Browns.

Well, he hopes he will be.

Tillman, a third-round selection by the Browns in the 2023 NFL Draft, has been moderately productive during his first three seasons in the NFL, catching 71 passes for 833 yards and five touchdowns in 38 games.

The former Vol, however, has shown flashes of being a starting-caliber wide receiver in the NFL.

Tillman, for example, caught 24 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns over a four-game stretch late in the 2024 season (that extrapolates to 102 receptions and 1,283 yards over 17 games). But inconsistent quarterback play in Cleveland, combined with injuries, has prevented Tillman from reaching his potential as a pro.

And the Browns are apparently growing tired of waiting to see if Tillman ever gets there (Cleveland drafted two wide receivers in April).

Browns insider predicts that Cedric Tillman won’t make Cleveland’s 53-man roster

The Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling made his early 53-man roster projection for the Browns this week, and he doesn’t have Tillman making the cut.

As Easterling noted, it’s still early and a lot can — and likely will — change. But still, it’s clear the Las Vegas native is on the roster bubble. And the timing isn’t great for Tillman, who is entering the final season of his rookie deal. Tillman just turned 26 years old. He’s entering what’s supposed to be the prime of his career. This is when wide receivers look to cash in, but he is facing an uphill battle to show that he deserves even a moderately-lucrative free agent deal.

On the other hand, it could be a good thing for the former Vol as the Browns are perpetually a mess. Wide receivers who are drafted by Cleveland almost never receive a second contract from the franchise (special teams ace Josh Cribbs, who was an undrafted free agent, received an extension in 2006, and Rashard Higgins signed a one-year extension worth just over $2 million in 2021).

Getting out of Cleveland could be a good thing for Tillman. But he would still have to land in a good situation where there’s an opportunity to start.

This is probably the most important summer of Tillman’s pro career, and he’s got a lot of ground to make up. He’s essentially starting at the back of the field in the Coca-Cola 600 while needing a top-five finish to earn a ride for the next season.