Jordan Phillips convinced the Miami Dolphins to draft him on official visit

When the Miami Dolphins selected defensive tackle Jordan Phillips in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, some wondered why the team would pick a defensive tackle instead of a position with a more glaring need. However, Phillips had a feeling all along that he would end up with the Dolphins when the draft was said and done.

“I was too excited. I thought I was going to be in Miami the whole time. That what I’ve been telling everybody I thought it was going to be in the first, but I’m just happy they gave me the opportunity and had enough confidence in me to pick me.”

One of the biggest reasons why Phillips thought it would be Miami was because he and new defensive line coach Terrell Williams formed a great relationship during the pre-draft process, although that wasn’t the feeling when the two first met at the NFL Combine.

“He just said from the combine that he didn’t think he would want to draft me pretty much. And then after I came on a visit, everything changed and it just went from there I guess. Me and (Defensive Line) Coach (Terrell) Williams, we just hit it off really well. He had a lot of confidence in me. He was just really honest with me and I was just really excited and thought that I was going to get a chance to work with him.

Phillips believes that things changed for the better on his visit because at the combine, you don’t get a lot of time with each team and you aren’t able to fully explain some outside perceptions. During his visit with the Dolphins, he was able to sit down with everyone, explain the entire situation and really let them get to understand him as a person and not just a player they saw on tape.

“Well, I’m not real for sure, but at the combine you really don’t get to tell the person and the character of somebody. You’re in there visiting everybody for hours and you just kind of get bored and you don’t really get to show who you are. So I think that we just connected and I’m just glad that he saw what I saw.”

Phillips described himself as being the best pocket presence in this draft class an interior lineman. He said that this meant that he is able to create pocket pressure and push the line while being a great run stuffer at the same time. With that skillset next to Ndamukong Suh, the sky could be the limit for this line and Phillips is well aware of what lies ahead.

“It’s a great opportunity. I’m really looking forward just to get to know him, get to get around and see how the vets work and everything like that. You know, just the whole D-line in general, I think we’re going to be pretty dominant. We have a great line. I can’t wait to meet everybody.”

There have been questions about Phillips’ lack of consistency and work ethic but he said that was a question that came up a lot during the pre-draft process with Miami. He said that he believes it was because of the system he was in and promised more plays out of him this coming season.

If Phillips is serious about becoming a more consistent player and giving it his all every time he steps on the field, there will be no offensive line in the NFL that will be able to successfully stop Miami’s defensive line with Suh and himself clogging up the middle of the field.

This story was written by Matthew Cannata. Follow him on Twitter: @PhinManiacs