Versatile Phillips likely will fill multiple roles
For NFL teams, January through April is all about projections.
But when the calendar turns to May, the projections end and evaluations begin.
Was Jaylen Waddle the right pick over DeVonta Smith? Which position suits Jevon Holland best? Will one of the undrafted rookies break through and make the 53-man roster?
Answers to those questions will take some time. This past weekend’s rookie minicamp was, as second-round tackle Liam Eichenberg put it, “fundamentals and improving.”
Think individual drills, not team or even one-on-ones. The first step of a marathon.
So no, it doesn’t sound like Eichenberg and first-round edge rusher Jaelan Phillips locked horns (practice was closed to the media). But that showdown is coming, and it’ll go a long way in determining whether the Dolphins got it right with both picks.
“Honestly, there’s no time to reflect right now,” said Phillips, who joins the Dolphins after one standout season at the University of Miami. “My head is full of playbook and what’s going on next, so honestly I’m just trying to be where my feet are. Obviously, this training has been incredible, and I’m so blessed to even be in this position, but now is definitely far from the time to rest. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us and so that’s what I’m doing — just every day trying to get better and like I said, being where my feet are.”
UM used Phillips on defensive line in 2020, but the Dolphins list him as a linebacker — the position he played at UCLA before transferring.
He expects to play all over the front seven for Miami, which is probably right.
“When you’re standing up, it’s more advantageous being able to see everything, like trying to take a snapshot of what’s going on,” Phillips said. “Then, when you’re in the three-point, obviously you’re having more leverage because you’re coming low to high. But yeah, having played both, I’m definitely comfortable doing whatever I need to do. But that’s just kind of the basis of Football 101.”
Phillips is listed at 266 pounds — which makes him both the Dolphins’ youngest and heaviest player at his position group. And yet he ran a blistering 4.56-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, solidifying his place in the first round of the NFL Draft. (The Dolphins took him 18th overall.)
“They haven’t obviously told me a specific weight that they need me at yet,” Phillips said. “I think we’ll probably get into that as we do more body composition stuff and everything like that. For me, honestly, it’s just to be the weight that I feel the most comfortable in, both obviously being as heavy and sturdy as I can but also as fast as I can. I’m definitely comfortable where I’m at right now. I’m just trying to continuously lean out and get stronger.”
Phillips, to use a dated term, is a tweener. He joins a franchise that has had great success getting the most out of edge defenders who don’t fit a perfect role.
The best example? Hall of Famer Jason Taylor — whom Phillips remembers watching play, even though Taylor entered the league two years before he was born.
“I haven’t met Jason Taylor yet, but I’d definitely love to,” Phillips said. “He’s a legend. Definitely would love to pick his brain and get some advice from him whenever I can meet him.”