National analyst has bold take on Vols WR Cedric Tillman
Cedric Tillman was supposed to be the Tennessee Vols' star offensive player in 2022. Tillman entered the 2022 season as the SEC's leading returning wide receiver after a breakout season in 2021. Unfortunately for Tillman, he missed a significant chunk of the Vols' 11-2 season after suffering a high ankle sprain in Tennessee's win against […]
Cedric Tillman was supposed to be the Tennessee Vols' star offensive player in 2022.
Tillman entered the 2022 season as the SEC's leading returning wide receiver after a breakout season in 2021.
Unfortunately for Tillman, he missed a significant chunk of the Vols' 11-2 season after suffering a high ankle sprain in Tennessee's win against Akron in the third game of the year.
In Tillman's absence, Jalin Hyatt stepped up as Tennessee's go-to wide receiver (Hyatt didn't necessarily need Tillman to get hurt to shine, but that's just how things played out).
Because of Tillman's limited production in 2022 (due to the injury), the former Vol wide receiver has completely fallen out of the first-round discussion.
But that might be a mistake. And CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli seemingly agrees.
Fornelli suggested this week that Tillman is "supremely underrated".
He also suggested that Tillman is a better player than Hyatt.
From CBS Sports: While Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt has appeared much higher in mocks and on big boards all over the internet, his teammate Tillman is the superior player, and will be far more productive at the NFL level.
Tillman isn't a burner like Hyatt, but he can still be a vertical threat in the passing game (Tillman ran a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash, which is enough speed for the NFL).
The Las Vegas native could also be an ideal red zone threat in the NFL. Tillman is great at catching 50/50 balls and he has elite body control that allows him to adjust to badly thrown balls (or back shoulder throws) with ease.
Someone is going to get a massive steal by landing Tillman in the second round or third round.
