Seemingly every year the NFL Combine rolls around, we depart Indianapolis with a name that becomes a scorching topic of conversation. Oftentimes it’s a guy that blazes in the 40, dominates positional drills, or jumps out of the gym in the broad or vert.
And while we have yet to see a single player man the starting line of the 40 or catch a pass in the well-documented ‘gauntlet’ drill, a certain defensive lineman made waves during the first podium sessions of 2025’s rendition of the scouting combine.
For Maryland defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, attention on a national stage has been long overdue. While the numbers at Maryland (16 pressures in 2024) won’t pop off the screen, a deep dive into his tape and exploring who the player is behind the facemask showcases a highly intuitive, fiery, flat-out alpha along a defensive line that any coordinator in the game would desire to have in their unit.
Favorite interview of the day had to be Maryland DL Jordan Phillips.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) February 26, 2025
The tape pops, but getting to know the athlete behind the facemask showcases a whole new side of the former Terp.
Talked about his time as a wrestler, his study habits of watching edge rushers & defensive… pic.twitter.com/oHyJHCQGTa
While the week in Indianapolis is always a great time to see what new records players can set in certain tests or how far a quarterback can rip a vertical shot in a t-shirt and shorts, learning what makes a prospect tick is really the ultimate goal of every team in attendance. Shedding a guard or blowing up a screen play in the fringe areas is great to see on tape, but is the desire there for a player? Does a prospect love football, or not?
What remains the ultimate goal for general managers across football is to find players that could force a GM’s hand in earning a second contract at their respective organizations. For Phillips, listening to his podium session on Wednesday wasn’t a stop-and-go affair as the questions buzzed. Every question was answered with a quick and well-thought-out answer and every word had a purpose.
It was impressive, and as teams across football attempt to stack their boards in a class that remains as up in the air as any class in memory, it’s leaders like Phillips that can separate themselves from other players that may parallel his skillset within the interior.
Moving forward, Thursday is an opportunity for Phillips to continue to raise eyebrows. A former standout wrestler and powerlifter in high school who has squatted upwards of 680 pounds, per a source at Maryland, his ability to showcase his power and twitch during testing and on-field drills will allow teams to round out their evaluation.
In such a loaded positional talent pool, learning how Phillips is wired, along with his high-level reps on tape, showcases a player who has begun to check many of the boxes teams desire in a potential top-75 pick.
