New England Patriots Draft Countdown: Making the Case for Jordan Phillips

Another defensive tackle?

Yes, the New England Patriots just spent a first-round pick on Dominique Easley last season; yes, they just re-signed veteran Alan Branch to a two-year contract; yes, they have been developing young nose tackle Sealver Siliga for a couple of years; and yes, they still have Chris Jones for backup.

Why, then, does it still feel like they have so many question marks? It couldn't all be because of the loss of Vince Wilfork. Perhaps it's because Easley's injury concerns came to fruition when the rookie was placed on injured reserve in December; maybe it's because Siliga has yet to bear the burden of starting a full 16-game season; maybe it has to do with the fact that Branch and Jones are better off as rotational players.

Maybe the Patriots need to add one more piece to the rotation up front to shore things up. 

There's a lot of evidence that Oklahoma's Jordan Phillips could be that piece.

Two-Gap Scheme

Phillips isn't going to put up eye-popping statistics as a pass-rusher, though he flashes the ability to get into the backfield at times, as he did against Tennessee by beating a double-team to force the quarterback out of the pocket. 

He's at his best when doing what Wilfork did for the Patriots for so many years: eating up multiple blocks on the inside of the line and helping keep his teammates clean of contact from linemen, allowing them to make plays at the second level. He can also fight through blocks to make the tackle in his spot instead of simply occupying space.

In fact, 9 percent of his run tackles were considered "stops," or unsuccessful plays for the offense. 

Source: ProFootballFocus.com

At 6'5" and 329 pounds with 34¾-inch arms, Phillips has the build of a bully in the middle of the line, but he's also athletic for his size. He's not going to beat anyone in a foot race, but he's nimble on his feet, allowing him to avoid cut blocks.

His combination of athleticism and size has drawn comparisons to Kansas City Chiefs nose tackle Dontari Poe, per Rob Rang of CBS Sports, and Washington Redskins defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. 

Bill Belichick would salivate at the thought of a player of that caliber in the middle of his defensive line, but Doug Farrar and Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated think Phillips' versatility expands even further than that:

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Thanks to his versatility, Phillips's list of potential landing spots appears rather lengthy. He could play the two-gap from directly over the center or use his athleticism to disrupt offenses out of the one- or three-techniques. Heck, he might even be able to take on some five-tech defensive end duties in a 3-4 defense. 

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Phillips could be groomed into the nose tackle spot, or he could line up as a 1-technique between the guard and center or as a 3-technique between the guard and tackle. As long as he's soaking up multiple blockers, his skill set will be valuable wherever he lines up.  

Deepen the Rotation

One key to the Patriots' run of success in the early 2000s was a dominant defensive line. Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Wilfork were the stars of the group, but there was plenty of depth in the likes of Ted Washington, Jarvis Green and Dan Klecko. 

Player	Ht	Wt	Age	Exp.
Sealver Siliga	6'2"	325	24	4
Dominique Easley	6'2"	290	23	2
Alan Branch	6'6"	325	30	9
Chris Jones	6'1"	309	24	3
Joe Vellano	6'2"	300	26	3
Antonio Johnson	6'3"	328	30	8

The Patriots love to mix it up between 3-4 and 4-3 alignments. Wilfork was a key to that versatility, as the big guy would line up as a true defensive tackle in a 4-3 and would flex between the nose tackle and defensive end spots in the 3-4. Right now, Siliga, Easley and Branch would probably be their starters if the Patriots were to field a 3-4 defense.

Phillips may not be a starter right away, but he could rotate with Branch and Jones while developing into that kind of role.

Michael Mountford of Pro Football Focus thinks Phillips is already primed to contribute against the run and could develop into a three-down player in time: "Entering the NFL at his current level, Phillips would be the prototypical two-down nose tackle, which will offer a little more on pass downs than most players. This is what his role looks like for at least the first year as he learns to actually play in the NFL."

With Phillips' history of back issues, though, there are already concerns over his longevity in the NFL. He only started 17 games in college due to season-ending back surgery in 2013, and that surgery wasn't due to one specific injury but "issues that had bothered him for a few years," according to Rang. 

The Patriots have proved they are willing to overlook a player's medical issues if they feel he has the potential to develop into a star, and if they think Phillips' back can stand the test of time, he would make a great addition to their line. 

Unless otherwise noted, all draft notes provided by NFL.com and CBS Sports.