Jordan Phillips 2025 NFL Draft: Mayland DT Scouting Report
In this highly anticipated 2025 NFL Draft class, a standout defensive tackle to keep on your radar is Jordan Phillips. He’s a DT from Maryland with strength and athleticism. Today, we’ll break down his NFL outlook with this in-depth expert scouting report. Additionally, we will be breaking down his strengths, areas for improvement, and his potential draft grade.
Jordan Phillips 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Phillips arrived at Maryland after a brief stint at Tennessee, where he played sparingly as a freshman during their 11-2 Orange Bowl season in 2022. Transferring closer to home, the former three-star recruit quickly established himself as a cornerstone of the Terrapins’ defensive line. Starting 11 games in 2023 and all 12 in 2024, Phillips showcased steady development, finishing his Maryland career with 57 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and no sacks across 23 starts.
A standout wrestler and weightlifter in high school, his athletic foundation and work ethic have fueled his rise as a notable prospect in a deep 2025 defensive tackle class. At just 20 years old, Phillips declared early for the NFL Draft, banking on his physical tools and upside.
Furthermore, Phillips is a thick, powerfully built interior lineman with a low center of gravity that enhances his natural leverage. He carries his weight well at his size, with a dense lower half and broad shoulders that suggest he can handle the rigors of NFL trench warfare. Additionally, his strength is elite. This is evidenced by a reported 665-pound squat and 365-pound power clean. More importantly, this gives him a rare combination of explosiveness and anchor ability for his size. While his arm length is shorter than ideal for a nose tackle, his compact frame and violent hands compensate in close quarters.
HT: 6015
WT: 312
HAND: 900
ARM: 3148
40: 4.99
Strengths:
- Point-of-Attack Power: Phillips is a brick wall against the run, consistently holding his ground against single blocks and showing the ability to drop a knee and anchor versus double teams. His wrestling background shines through in his understanding of leverage and balance.
- Explosive First Step: Despite his size, Phillips fires off the ball with impressive quickness, often disrupting plays before they develop. His lateral agility allows him to track runners sideline-to-sideline better than most big men.
- Hand Usage: He possesses heavy, active hands that deliver a jolt at contact. Phillips uses a strong initial punch to stun blockers and has flashed the ability to stack and shed when his technique aligns.
- Athletic Upside: At 20 years old, with only two full seasons of starting experience, Phillips is a raw talent with significant room to grow. His movement skills and strength suggest a high ceiling with proper coaching.
- Durability and Motor: Started 23 consecutive games at Maryland and rarely left the field, showing stamina and a relentless approach that wears down opponents late in games.
Areas for Improvement:
- Pass-Rush Repertoire: Phillips is a non-factor as a pass rusher, with zero sacks in college. He lacks a go-to move and often relies on raw power rather than technique, which won’t translate against NFL linemen without refinement.
- Processing Speed: He can be a beat slow when reacting to complex blocking schemes, particularly on stretch plays or when facing combo blocks. This hesitation occasionally allows linemen to climb to the second level.
- Pad Level Consistency: While naturally low to the ground, Phillips tends to rise after initial contact, reducing his leverage and leaving him vulnerable to being washed out of plays.
- Limited Production: His stat line (57 tackles, 2.5 TFLs) doesn’t jump off the page, reflecting a role as a space-eater rather than a playmaker. Teams will need to buy into his traits over his box-score impact.
- Length Concerns: Shorter arms limit his ability to lock out blockers and control gaps at the next level, a potential liability against longer, more technical NFL guards and centers.
Conclusion:
Overall, Phillips projects as a developmental nose tackle best suited for a 3-4 defense. There, he can use his ability to eat double teams and anchor the A-gaps can protect linebackers. Teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, or Kansas City Chiefs—squads that value stout run defenders with upside—could see him as a mid-round steal. In a 4-3 scheme, he’d likely play as a 1-technique, though his lack of pass-rush juice might initially limit him to early-down duties. Additionally, his physical profile draws comparisons to a young Brandon Williams, with a similar blend of power and untapped potential.
Finally, Phillips is a high-floor, high-ceiling prospect whose youth and physical gifts make him an intriguing late Day 2 to early Day 3 target. While he’s not yet a finished product, his ability to dominate the line of scrimmage against the run and his raw athleticism suggest he could evolve into a starting-caliber nose tackle with time. Patience will be key—expect a rotational role as a rookie before he becomes a potential anchor in Years 2 or 3. Phillips offers the promise of a physically imposing force in the trenches for a team willing to invest in his development.
Round Grade: 4th Round
Stats: Per Sports Reference
| Season | Team | G | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sk | PD | FR |
| 2022* | Tennessee | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023* | Maryland | 13 | 14 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Maryland | 12 | 17 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 28 | 31 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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