EAGAN, Minn. – The Vikings are adding to their defensive line and receivers groups.
Minnesota has agreed to terms with free agent defensive lineman Jerry Tillery and receiver Trent Sherfield, the team announced Thursday.
Tillery played for the Raiders last season, appearing in all 17 games and making six starts. He totaled 31 tackles, 2.0 sacks, two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
Originally the 28th overall selection by the Chargers in the 2019 NFL Draft, Tillery spent his first three-plus seasons in Los Angeles and started 29 of 54 games played. The Chargers opted to waive Tillery midway through the 2022 season, and he was claimed off waivers by the Raiders prior to Week 11.
Las Vegas released Tillery Wednesday at the start of the new league year.
A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Tillery attended Evangel Christian Academy. As a senior, he racked up 93 tackles and 7.0 sacks and went on to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio.
Tillery committed to play at Notre Dame, where he initially was going to play offensive tackle as a freshman but later was transitioned to defensive tackle. He started three of 12 games that season, then started all but one game for the Irish as a sophomore, recording 37 tackles. Tillery was a full-time starter over his final two seasons at Notre Dame and totaled 84 tackles, 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in 25 games.
Tillery graduated from Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters with a degree in economics.
Sherfield played for the Bills in 2023, catching 11 passes for 86 yards and one touchdown in his lone season in Buffalo.
Prior to that, he played in Miami in 2022 when he posted career bests of 30 receptions for 417 yards and two scores for the Dolphins.
In 2021, Sherfield joined the 49ers and caught nine passes for 87 yards with a score after playing his first three seasons with Arizona.
As an undrafted rookie out of Vanderbilt in 2018, Sherfield caught 19 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. Over the next two seasons, he added nine catches for 130 yards but did not reach the end zone in 2019 of 2020.
In addition to his 78 career receptions, 930 yards and five receiving touchdowns, Sherfield also has been a consistent contributor on special teams, logging 1,031 career snaps with that phase.
In 2017 at Vanderbilt, Sherfield served as a co-captain and finished his college career with 136 receptions for 1,869 yards, ranking No. 8 in school history in both categories.
