Analyst sets high bar for Dolphins first-round edge-rusher

Though his first two seasons have been solid, Miami Dolphins defensive end Jaelan Phillips hasn’t quite reached the level of expectation the team had for him when it took him 18th overall in the 2021 draft.

However, after finishing strong down the stretch to end last season (33 pressures, 17 hurries, four sacks in final eight games), NFL Network’s Peter Schrager believes the third-year edge-rusher is primed for a big year, which is why he ranked him as his No. 2 most-likely player to have a breakout year in 2023.

“Last year toward the end of the 2022 campaign, he was unblockable,” Schrager said. “…You watch him operate, he’s long, he’s tall, he’s intelligent and he’s a technician. … You start hearing things out of Miami and the Vic Fangio defense (plans to) send Jaelen Phillips. … I’m expecting 15 sacks, 16 sacks. I think that’s all possible in Vic’s defense.”

Fangio defenses are notorious for limiting explosive plays and forcing teams to run the ball more often than they would like. Fangio is also a master at disguising coverages, seamlessly switching between 2-4-5, 2-3-6 and 3-3-4 defensive fronts, which negates the need to blitz very often. 

Instead, he exploits pass-rush matchups with athletic edge-rushers and linebackers, which is exactly what should be expected this season from Phillips, who can dominate inside the tackles and wreak havoc coming off the edge.