Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips has opted to forgo the final two years of his eligibility and declare for the 2015 NFL Draft. Phillips, just a redshirt sophomore, played his last game for the Sooners in an embarrassing rout at the hands of Clemson, 40-6 which capped off a disappointing season overall. After a 4-0 start, the Sooners finished their season with a 4-5 record.
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Phillips, listed at 6’6″ 334lbs becomes an extremely intriguing commodity for the NFL Draft. He is tall and big, but he carries the weight pretty well and shows a ton of strength for the position. Whether as a 1-technique nose guard in an even front or a 0-technique nose tackle in an odd front, Phillips has the size and bulk to soak up blocks and enable teammates to make plays.
Phillips finished the year with 20 solo tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, a pass deflection and fumble recovery. If he can perform well in testing, combining that with the tape he put up at Oklahoma, Phillips could go much earlier than some expect. He might not be widely known now but that could change between now and the time of the NFL Draft. The field for defensive tackles has a good amount of talent in it, but outside of players like Leonard Williams from USC, much of it will be relying on potential and physical tools to vie for draft position, which will leave the rankings around the league both very fluid and possibly quite different, so Phillips will have a chance to go early.