2015 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Jordan Phillips
As teams move to more hybrid defensive schemes and 34 fronts the demand for large space eaters on the defensive line has become a premium. Since the teams are dropping more defenders back in coverage to defend against the pass, large bodies in the middle of the defensive line are a must.
Jordan Phillips fits the bill as a mammoth defensive tackle who is surprisingly athletic and can generate a decent pass rush. Let’s delve into what makes Phillips such an intriguing prospect.
STRENGTHS
The most striking trait about Jordan Phillips is his size. Listed at 6’6″ 334lbs, Phillips is a load at the line scrimmage and is often much bigger than the interior blockers he’s going against.
Surprisingly, for a man his size, he moves extremely well. In this play versus Tennessee, he uses his quickness to get a nice jump off the snap and make his way towards the quarterback. Even though he doesn’t make the sack here, it shows his athleticism by being able to beat two separate blockers with speed and hand quickness.
Due to his size, Phillips is also stout against the run but he still shows phenomenal short area quickness. When Phillips is giving maximum effort, he is often the most dominant lineman on the field. On this play versus Tennessee, he gets a good jump off the snap again, and explodes into the center, driving him back into the running back and makes the tackle.
Phillips’ size helps him collapse the pocket in the pass game, making it difficult for the quarterback to see over his interior lineman.
Along with his quickness, Phillips shows violent hands that are constantly looking to swipe offensive lineman away. If he can refine his pass rushing moves he’ll be unstoppable as an interior pass rushing presence.
WEAKNESSES
While Jordan Phillips’ size is a huge advantage for him, at times it can counteract against. He can get tired quickly (not unusual for prospects of his size) which makes him ineffective at times.
TCU’s up-tempo offense gave Phillips some problems, as they used cut blocks and screens to force Phillips to run sideline to sideline, fatiguing him quickly.
Phillips could also stand to use more consistent effort on a play to play basis. When he’s on, no one can block him. He has a rare blend of size and athleticism that will make NFL scouts salivate.
One last thing that Phillips needs to improve upon is staying low out of his stance. This can be difficult for him because he is 6’6″, but if he can improve his pad level that would be a huge plus for him and allow him to gain leverage in the run and pass game.
DRAFT STOCK
Right now Phillips is a late first to early second round prospect, but that could change with a good showing at the combine. If Phillips can run the 40 yard dash around 5.1-5.2 seconds and gets a good 10 yard start, he could solidify himself as a first round pick.
As of this writing, picks 25-40 seems like an appropriate draft range for Phillips.
PLAYER COMPARISON
Kris Jenkins, Retired