Maryland Terrapins defensive tackle Jordan Phillips was one of the most surprising early declarations in the 2025 NFL Draft. With little production to show for his efforts in school, does the tape tell a more vibrant story? What admirable traits shine on Phillips’ scouting report?
Jordan Phillips Profile and Measurements
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 320
Position: Defensive Tackle
School: Maryland
Current Year: Sophomore (Third Year)
Phillips’ Scouting Report
Strengths
- Plays with very clear vertical leverage
- Very low stance and pad level post-snap
- Works play side and drops plant foot and opposite knee to anchor down vs. doubles
- Flexible lower half
- Pretty clear wrestling background
- Well-proportioned frame with massive calves
- Impressive natural balance through contact
- Extends even to when compromised by poor base/positioning
- Has burst and hands to fight horizontally to avoid getting reached
- Drops anchor against the flow to cut off cutback lanes w/ lower half power and flexibility
- Impressive burst and LOS resetting ability with uncoiling hands that consistently land on target
- Stout at point of attack
- Low, fiery explosiveness
- Ferocity as a pass rusher when given the green light
- Heavy-handed disengagements
Weaknesses
- Almost everything is late
- Off the snap
- Processing is sluggish
- Late see and react leads to ugly run defensive reps getting sealed and washed
- Will pop up high and let brain buffer while OL engages
- Late to get hands up in passing lanes
- Late to proactively engage as a pass rusher
- Violent but entirely underdeveloped hands as a pass rusher
- Occasionally two-foot hops out of stance
- That’ll get him carried to the next galaxy
- Struggles to stab and climb when blocked down vs. stretch looks
- Struggles maintaining line of scrimmage relationship vs. stretch looks
- High pad level in dogfights leaves reactive athleticism compromised
- Unable to swivel and pursue runners off his shoulder
- Underdeveloped feel for approaching doubles to initiate counterbalance prior to contact
Summary and Draft Projection
Phillips is one of the more naturally gifted defensive tackles in the class. He’s well-proportioned, explosive, and young. The ferocity he shows in extension is admirable, and his horizontal athleticism was clear in 2024 when he faced a bevy of wide-zone Big Ten schools.
Unfortunately, Phillips is a perfect example of how important it can be to stay in school and play more snaps at the collegiate level before making the jump.
The Maryland nose tackle will almost certainly need a multi-year runway before becoming a difference-maker in the NFL. From a physical perspective, there’s practically nothing the interior defender can’t accomplish. Phillips is stout, violent, explosive, fluid, and endlessly balanced.
Unfortunately, sheer athleticism is only a piece of the 500-piece puzzle that is playing defensive tackle at the NFL level. Although they’re lovingly regarded as “space eaters,” there is far more instantaneous mental processing and body positioning necessary to gain and maintain positional leverage.
Phillips will look incredible when given the green light to attack. If placed in a proactive, downhill gap-penetrating scheme, he could be disruptive yet inconsistent early in his career. There’s simply too much buffering at the snap to be a consistent run defender at the NFL level in Year 1.
At the risk of piling on, there isn’t anything to write home about as a pass rusher, either. The closest athletic comparison for Phillips might be Alim McNeill, but the current Detroit Lions DT was far more nuanced coming from NC State as a run defender while also being more naturally flexible with the ability to collapse the pocket. Phillips doesn’t show that either, evidenced by his utter lack of pass-rushing production in his two years at Maryland.
In short, Phillips is a Day 2 athlete and later Day 3 player at this point of his young career. The sweet spot for his development would be early on Day 3, but his athleticism and almost certainly dominant performance at Shrine Week practices could elevate him into Day 2, where expectations for quick production will be significantly higher.
Patience will be key for Phillips. In a few years’ time, the reward could be a run defense anchored by a world-beater.
