23/4. *Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma, 6-6, 334, 5.34, 1
Phillips is a huge -- very huge -- gamble who can be a bad man on the football field, and define that any way you want. This enormous athlete shows great strength, quick feet, violent hands and the ability to drop low and use up two blockers almost with ease. But just as often, Phillips gave little or no effort in college, probably the most obvious concern on his resume. So the NFL team that takes Phillips will do so on his projection, not production. A four- and five-star recruit out of Circle High School in Towanda, Kansas, Phillips had a slow start at Oklahoma. He redshirted in 2011 and served as a backup in 2012. He became a starter in 2013, but after four games required surgery for multiple problems with his back. So, not counting the 68 tackles and eight sacks he had as a high-school senior, Phillips' only decent year was 2014 when he managed 39 tackles, seven for a loss and two sacks. He seems to have the athletic ability to become a big, big star in the underwear Olympics part of the combine. But teams will focus more on his character in interviews and medical reports on that surgically-repaired back.
