Jacksonville Jaguars: Jaelan Phillips declares for 2021 NFL Draft
The Jacksonville Jaguars may want to take a look at Jaelan Phillips.
Besides the quarterback position, the Jacksonville Jaguars must prioritize bolstering their defensive line in the offseason. There will be many prospects available in the 2021 NFL Draft and one of them, Miami defensive end Jaelan Phillips, has declared for the event.
Phillips will enter 2020’s draft, according to Matt Zenitz of Al.com. The junior defensive end broke out with the Hurricanes after transferring from UCLA in 2019. In ten games this season, he logged eight sacks, one interception, 45 total tackles (15.5 for a loss), and even three pass breakups.
During his tenure with the Bruins, he sustained a wrist injury, an ankle injury, and a concussion, which led him to the decision to retire before changing his mind and transferring to Miami. Mel Kiper of ESPN believes Phillips is the best defensive end in 2021’s draft and ranked 12th in his latest big board, which would make him a first-round target.
Jaelan Phillips provides an alluring option to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Injuries slowed Phillips down in his first two college seasons, but once he was healthy, he was able to show how much of an impact he can have on the football field. Although NFL teams will have a small sample to work with, the California native’s pass-rush prowess jumps off the tape.
Rookie defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson has played better in recent weeks after struggling later in the season and Josh Allen should be fully healthy in 2021. Nevertheless, the team has to add as much talent to their front four as possible. Just a few weeks ago, this Jacksonville team was dead last in sacks, and even though they have applied pressure more consistently in the last three games, they still are 29th.
Next. What will Jaguars do with their pending FAs?. dark
If the Jaguars decide to use the second overall pick on a quarterback prospect, they could use their second first-round selection, the one they got in exchange for cornerback Jalen Ramsey in 2019, to select a defensive end, and Phillips could their choice if he’s available.