DT Phillips A Rising Star On Dolphin Defense

When the Dolphins selected Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips in the second round of the 2015 draft, the chatter started immediately. Said Mike Mayock: "Jordan Phillips has first round ability all over him. He can dominate at the point of attack, he controls the run game. He reminds me of Terrance Knighton. People question his football character, which is why he's being selected in the second round and not in the first." Phillips, who, with a September 1992 birthdate apparently was named after NBA star Michael Jordan, has tremendous physical talent that allows him to pull off feats that could well be called Jordanesque. How many 6'6", 335 lb athletes have you seen do a backflip? Because he plays on defense during an era in which offensive football is all the rage, not much was said when Phillips pumped out 28 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press at the 2015 scouting combine. However, a man whose arms measure nearly thirty-five inches in length being able to lift that much weight that many times is downright ridiculous. From a physics standpoint, it's not too far off running back Chris Johnson's 4.24 forty time in 2008, in terms of improbability. According to Bill Parcells' 'Planet Theory', there are only so many guys on the planet with physical talent like that who can play football, and when you have a chance to select one of them in the draft, you do it.

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