Eight analysts assess Dolphins’ Phillips: ‘This guy is going to wreak havoc in the NFL’
Reaction from analysts on the Miami Dolphins’ selection of Miami Hurricanes defensive end/outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips with the 18th pick in Thursday’s NFL draft:
▪ NBC lead NFL analyst and Pro Football Focus co-owner Cris Collinsworth: “By the time you got to the second half of his last season, you went: ‘Oh my God, this guy is going to wreak havoc in the NFL.’ He plays with violence, he has multiple moves, he has spin moves... He’s one of the best athletes….
“I’m going to be stunned if this guy does not end up not just a good player, [but] an NFL star. I thought he was the best defensive player in this draft.... This guy is going to be a great pick for the Miami Dolphins.”
▪ ESPN’s Louis Riddick: “This is one of my favorite players in this draft. He has got it all. He’s the most polished pass rusher in this draft. He can beat you with power, beat you with speed, beat you off the edge, can beat you as a three technique, as a defensive tackle.
“He hustles, he makes plays all over the field. There’s nothing not to like about this young man, aside from the fact he has had an injury history and he is going to have to prove he can stay on the football field. It gives Brian Flores what he wants out there.
“If he can stay on the field, this is a double digit sack guy early in his career. [Coach] Chuck Smith said he’s the polished, pro ready pass rusher in this draft bar none. He has power, he has speed, he has it all. This is a home run pick for them. If it weren’t for the injury concerns, this guy would be considered a top 10 pick.”
▪ ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: “Jaelan had a great pro day. He had a heck of a season. He’s the best natural pass rusher in this draft with his length, explosiveness, his anticipation of the snap. When he gets around that edge he has the bend. He’d be a much higher pick if it wasn’t for the durability concern.”
▪ NFL Net’s Daniel Jeremiah: “He’s the most talented edge rusher [in the draft]. He’s very loose and flexible in the top of his rush. Jaelan Phillips has had some health issues that teams had to get comfortable with, but at some point in time, you’ve just got to take him. He’s too talented. His athleticism shows up when you see him in space.
“His ability to redirect, get guys on the ground. You talk about him being the most accomplished and polished pass rusher [in the draft]. He doesn’t stop.
“Not only does he bend at the top of his rush, he shows you the effort. He has a GPS for the quarterback to come back underneath and finish the play. Coaches at his [UM Pro Day] workout said it was as impressive as any Pro Day they’ve been to. He helped himself there and that’s why he’s the first edge rusher off the board.”
▪ ESPN’s Todd McShay: “With Phillips, I see power, driving an offensive tackle back and pushing them out of the way and then go finish as a pass rusher. He just dominated guards [when playing some inside at defensive tackle].
“He’s long and powerful. You’ve got to be able to threaten with both quickness and power and he can threaten with both. He’s a more complete pass rusher than [UM’s Greg Rousseau].”
▪ Stanford coach and NFL Network analyst David Shaw: “I don’t talk a lot about high school. This guy in high school was the best athlete I’ve seen coming out of high school. This guy returned punts. I’ve never seen a guy who is a defensive pass rusher and punt returner. He returned one for a touchdown his junior year. This guy is special. This guy is a difference maker. The pocket collapses on his side over and over again.”
▪ NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein: “Edge defender with plus physical attributes and a motor that keeps him working and attacking throughout the rep. Philips might have the combination of length and athleticism that would allow teams to look at him with a hand on the ground or standing depending on his weight. Adding play strength will be important so that he can stack it up when setting the edge as a run defender in the league.
“He’s a slippery-limbed pass rusher with good first-step quickness, which bodes well for his future rush success if he gets better with his hands and learns a go-to counter. He has a shot at becoming a solid future starter along the edge if his medicals pan out.”
▪ ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit: “Just had the one year and man did he take advantage of that one year. The biggest thing about this player is when he plays with this passion, he can defend the run because of his physicality but he can also provide a really consistent pass rush with his length and twitch.
“I did three or four of his games this year. Just a relentless attitude and presence off the edge. If he gets an offensive tackle isolated and gets him one-on-one, he can use brute strength and hands and quickness to work around him.”
Here’s my Thursday night piece with tons of reaction on new Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle.
This story was originally published April 29, 2021 at 10:59 PM.
