NFL Draft 2021: Jaelan Phillips stays in the “305” with Dolphins
By Andrew Tineo
After snagging an electric offensive player, Miami added depth along the defensive line with Jaelan Phillips.
After making a splash move with the sixth overall pick, the Miami Dolphins were not finished with their Thursday evening.
They would use their second pick of the first round to select DE Jaelan Phillips, out of the University of Miami at Florida. The Hurricane won’t have to move very far. However, in order to be in this position, he had to make a decision two years in the making that would have him travel across the country.
When it comes to feel-good stories, merely none compare to Miami (Fl.)’s Jalean Phillips. Phillips was forced to medically retire in 2018 with UCLA. He then chose to transfer to Miami and had a stellar 2020 season.
With the No. 18 overall pick in the 2021 @NFLDraft, the @MiamiDolphins select DE Jaelan Phillips!
— NFL (@NFL) April 30, 2021
📺: 2021 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/BcFWQrvqtS
With Gregory Rousseau getting the spotlight during the off-season coming from Temple, it was Phillips that stood out more as the NFL prospect.
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Phillips finished with 45 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and eight sacks on the season. He also recorded an interception.
Although defensive end is not a massive need, with young players like Emmanuel Ogbah and Chrisitan Wilkins performing well last year, Phillips adds depth to a defense that was opportunistic a year ago.
Led by the duo of defensive backs in Xavien Howard and Byron Jones, the defense is looking to apply more pressure through the front seven. Kiko Alonso is well-known in the league and Raekwon Davis played all sixteen games of his rookie season a year ago.
The ceiling for the Dolphins is higher than many think, and adding ammunition along with the defense, only enhances the help to the young quarterback and offense, which is littered with elite skill players along the outside.