2021 NFL Draft defensive end rankings: Ronnie Perkins leads a deep class
By John Blair
4. Jaelan Phillips, Miami
6-foot-5, 266 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: First round
Miami’s Jaelan Phillps might have seen his draft stock rise more than any prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft class. He started the year off with a free agent grade as he had very little production in his first couple of years of college football and also had medical concerns. However, after an extremely impressive 2020 season, he has earned a first-round draft grade.
Phillips is a complete defensive end that can be used in multiple ways. As a pass rusher, he is an impressive athlete who shows the flexibility to get around the edge. He holds up well as a run defender as well. In this area, he shows a high football IQ and enough strength to hold up at the point of attack. One more plus is Phillips has been used as a defensive end and a linebacker for the Hurricanes this season. The versatility he showed in this area should earn him looks from teams that play either a 4-3 or 3-4 defense.
The biggest concern with Phillips is his long injury history. He was sidelined most of his UCLA career as he battled both ankle and concussion issues during his time with the Bruins. These concussion issues were so severe that Phillips briefly retired from football. This will and should be a major red flag for NFL teams. On the field one area, he can improve on is that he tends to play with a high pad level.
When projecting where Phillips will go in the draft, a lot will come down to how he checks out medically. If he gets a clean bill of health, he could be a top-20 pick but if teams have concerns about him in this area he could slip to the second round.