Phillips hopes impressive pro day quiets draft concerns

After a successful 2020 season with the Miami Hurricanes, defensive end and NFL draft prospect Jaelan Phillips showed once again why he’s so highly regarded, despite some teams and analysts’ concerns.

Phillips, after an eight-sack season in 2020, ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash at Miami’s Pro Day on Monday afternoon, a blazing time for a defensive end. He was originally clocked at 4.46 seconds, unofficially, according to the ACC Network telecast, before being corrected.

Phillips shined as he was joined by other Hurricanes draft prospects in fellow edge rushers Gregory Rousseau and Quincy Roche, tight end Brevin Jordan and kicker Jose Borregales participating in their Pro Day at UM’s facilities, which took on greater importance in this year’s draft process given the lack of a scouting combine.

“I believe our guys helped themselves today,” Miami coach Manny Diaz said. “Now, it’s up to the NFL leading up to the draft to make their decisions. I think all the guys that worked out today showed they can be an asset to any NFL franchise.”

Phillips’ time run Monday would’ve been the fastest for a defensive lineman at last year’s NFL scouting combine — North Carolina State’s James Smith-Williams ran a 4.60 then. Phillips said he can run it even faster.

“I’m faster than that,” said Phillips, adding his 36-inch vertical jump was a personal record and he was pleased with his 10-foot-5 broad jump. “It is what it is. I’m still happy with the time, no doubt, but I’ve run 4.4s in training.”

Phillips’ performance could go a long way in quieting concerns over his series of injuries suffered at UCLA, or momentary retirement from football before transferring

to Miami. While with the Bruins, Phillips suffered severe wrist damage from a moped accident, sprains on both ankles and three separate concussions. He had a brief retirement before opting instead to transfer to UM, sitting out the 2019 season due to transfer rules and using the time to transform his body and stand out in 2020.

“The proof is in the pudding,” said Phillips of proving doubters wrong. “I think that my play on the field obviously showed. I didn’t miss a snap. I didn’t miss a game, didn’t miss a workout, didn’t miss anything. If you watched the Pro Day, you saw that wrist was still working, and obviously, I’m healthy. I don’t think it’s a risk at all. We play a dangerous and violent game, so obviously, people get hurt, but I wouldn’t be here today if I was a risk.

“Everybody’s path to success isn’t linear at all. There’s ups and downs. All of that really just gave me a better look at everything. It made me have this chip on my shoulder. It gave me a deeper appreciation for what this game is.”

Phillips (6-5, 260) also benched 21 reps of 225 pounds, and had the quickest shuttle time of Miami’s draft prospects (4.12 seconds)

Rousseau (6-6 ½, 266) was a key prospect to watch after he opted out of the 2020 season and scouts hadn’t seen him since his 15 ½-sack 2019 campaign. He had eye-popping measurables with his 83 ¼-inch wingspan and 11-inch hands.

Rousseau ran a 4.68second 40, did 21 benchpress reps, posted a 4.45-seond shuttle, had a 30-inch vertical and 9-foot-7 broad jump.

“I feel like I left some things out there,” Rousseau said. “I could’ve done better, but there’s always room for improvement, so I’m just going to get back to work these next few weeks.”

Rousseau said he focused on improving various aspects of his game — from his get-off to his hands and his explosiveness — in the time he took to train away from the team. While it bothered Rousseau, watching Miami’s game days last fall, to not play alongside his former teammates, he has no regrets.

“I don’t have a lot of film, but I feel I showed a lot in the time that I did play,” Rousseau said. “I also feel that I’m a very versatile athlete and I fit into a lot of schemes.”

Jordan, up to be one of the top tight ends chosen after Florida’s Kyle Pitts, said he was “disappointed” with how drills went for him.

He ran the 40 in 4.67 seconds, completed 17 reps on the bench, had a 30-inch vertical, 9-foot-8 broad jump, but he was most displeased with his shuttle time (4.62).

“There’s no way I ran a 4.6. I don’t know who got that down for the shuttle,” Jordan said. “I can run a 4.3 without trying . ... We’re going to get back to training, and it’s time to focus on some real football.”

In outdoor position drills, Jordan caught passes from former Miami quarterback N’Kosi Perry, who plans to transfer upon academic completion of the spring semester at UM.

Roche led the group on the bench with 23 reps. His 40 was 4.66, shuttle was 4.42, had a 32 ½-inch vertical and 9-foot-11 broad jump.

“I definitely think I showed my athleticism,” said Roche, who added he felt his niche in the NFL would be as a 3-4 outside linebacker. “Drills were smooth. I’m completely okay with the way [Monday] went in total.”

Borregales, the Lou Groza Award winner as college football’s top kicker last season, is widely projected as the first kicker that will be taken in the draft. He said he nailed various field goals that teams asked him to attempt, and he displayed improvements on kickoffs, showing he can kick off to the right side, which he hadn’t done much on film.

Among NFL coaches present at Miami Pro Day were Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins, Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots and Joe Judge of the New York Giants. A scout from every NFL team was on hand on Monday.

Former Miami defensive tackle Chigozie Nnoruka, who played for UM in 2019 after transferring from UCLA, also participated in Pro Day.