https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/2019....co/Wfdpcvxaby

It was recently revealed in an ESPN article that Notre Dame defensive tackle Jerry Tillery played the final eight games of the college football season with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. His mother wanted him to sit out the semifinal game against Clemson and deal with his injury, but Tillery continued to fight through injury and played through it. That’s a mentality NFL teams will certainly like.

Tillery went on to complete combine testing before he had surgery to clean up the labrum tear. It’s safe to say that betting on himself paid off in because he tested quite well at the combine. Lately he’s been viewed as a riser among media types, but it’s unclear how the NFL actually views Tillery.

He had his surgery on March 6th. The surgery isn’t significant and carries a recovery time of three to four months. That could cause Tillery to miss rookie camp and OTA’s, but he’ll likely be ready by mandatory minicamp if all goes well in recovery.

Some teams will see a rookie missing those early offseason workout sessions, and they’ll be concerned with how much the player will be able to contribute early on in 2019. Those sessions are crucial for a rookie picking up a playbook, and getting a grasp of the NFL game.

That alone could certainly push Tillery down a bit from where he might previously be projected in the draft. As a borderline first round player, he could end up as a solid target in the second round of the draft for a team like the Chiefs who are hunting for bargains on the defensive side of the ball.
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