2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Jaelan Phillips

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Jaelan Phillips, 6-5/266 Defensive End Miami

Jaelan Phillips Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Instinctive

Athletic

Excellent motor

Advanced read-and-react skills

Good vision

Adjusts well to moving quarterbacks, running backs

Burst off the ball

Good get off

Speed to get around the corner

Dangerous inside rush move

Has a burst to close on the quarterback

Functional strength, length

Ability to use hands and feet at same time

Active hands

Able to shed blocks

Agile; not stiff

Nice ability to redirect

Tough run defender

Upside to get better

Versatile for 3-4 or 4-3 defense

Weaknesses:

One-year wonder

Not a pure speed demon

Could use refinement of pass-rushing moves

Summary: When Temple standout Quincy Roche transferred to Miami, the Hurricanes were expected to have a dynamic pass-rushing tandem with Roche and Gregory Rousseau. Rousseau then decided to skip the 2020 season, but another transfer, former UCLA defensive end Jaelan Phillips, ended up picking up the slack, breaking out with Miami. Phillips was a top recruit coming out of high school, but he never found his stride with the Bruins. Phillips notched 21 tackles and 3.5 sacks as a freshman and then recorded 20 tackles and a sack in 2018. After his sophomore year, Phillips transferred to Miami, and he sat out the 2019 season per the tyrannical NCAA rules that benefit universities but not students.

Miami gave Rousseau’s No.15 to Phillips, and some NFL evaluators feel Phillips is a better and more well-rounded player than the much hyped Rousseau. In the shortened 2020 season, Phillips totaled 45 tackles, eight sacks, one interception and three passes defended. He came up with clutch plays for the Hurricanes and was more disruptive than the numbers indicate. After his breakout junior year, Phillips decided to enter the 2021 NFL Draft.

There is no doubt that Phillips has a good skill set for the NFL. He has good size, strength, quickness and athleticism. With his versatile skill set, Phillips should fit any NFL defense given his ability to remain a base end in a 4-3 or stand up to play outside linebacker in a 3-4. Phillips possesses a phenomenal motor and gives a relentless effort in both phases, making him a very disruptive edge defender.



As a pass rusher, Phillips is not a pure speed demon off the edge, but he still is a versatile defender. Phillips has an excellent move to the inside, shpwomg functional strength on a swim move to dart to the inside of tackles with a burst to close on the quarterback in a hurry. Phillips uses his good strength and good leverage to bull rush his way into the pocket. He also has active hands and uses them at the same time with his feet. Thanks to his length, strength and good hands, Phillips is adept at shedding blocks and putting pressure on the quarterback. He shows nice vision, instincts, and an ability to redirect to chase down moving quarterbacks.

Phillips is very good in run defense, as he is strong to set the edge and holds his ground against downhill runs. Phillips uses his strong hands, length and strength to shed blocks to chase down backs for tackles. With his burst, Phillips is dangerous to get upfield and blow up runs in the backfield. He is a well-rounded player who will be an asset as a run defender in the NFL.

For the next level, it would help Phillips to continue to build up his repertoire of pass-rushing moves. He could make himself more dangerous and versatile for dealing with pro offensive tackles by adding club, rip and spin moves.

Phillips looks likely to be a top-25 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and should become a future three-down starter. He has a very good skill set with a lot of upside to develop. Phillips could become a Pro Bowl defensive end during his career.



Player Comparison: Cam Jordan. In terms of style of play, Phillips reminds me of Jordan. Jordan (6-4, 287) is heavier, while Phillips is longer, but both have good motors and well-rounded play as run defenders and pass rushers. Similar to Jordan, Phillips has a lot of upside entering the NFL.

2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville Jhamon Ausbon, WR, Texas A&M Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama Carlos Basham, DE, Wake Forest Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas Jabril Cox, LB, LSU Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Paris Ford, S, Pittsburgh Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State Kenny Gainwell, RB, Memphis Richie Grant, S, Central Florida Najee Harris, RB, Alabama Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State Trey Hill, C, Georgia Jevon Holland, S, Oregon Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State Mac Jones, QB, Alabama Patrick Jones, DE, Pittsburgh Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama Walker Little, OT, Stanford Hunter Long, TE, Boston College Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan Tre' McKitty, TE, Georgia Davis Mills, QB, Stanford Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU Elijah Molden, CB, Washington Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M Dan Moore Jr., OT, Texas A&M Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina Jamie Newman, QB, Wake Forest Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA Azeez Ojulari, LB, Georgia Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington Joseph Ossai, LB, Texas Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, LB, Notre Dame Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan Ronnie Perkins, OLB, Oklahoma Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota Aaron Robinson, CB, Central Florida Quincy Roche, OLB, Miami Larry Rountree, RB, Missouri Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU Rashawn Slater, C, Northwestern DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama D'Ante Smith, OT, East Carolina Trey Smith, G, Tennessee Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida Kyle Trask, QB, Florida Joe Tryon, DE, Washington Jay Tufele, DT, USC Payton Turner, DE, Houston T.J. Vasher, WR, Texas Tech Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State Rashad Weaver, DE, Pittsburgh Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

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