Jaelan Phillips
Carolina PanthersOVERPAIDModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 17 games
Draft & College
He went about where consensus had him.
Covers the college seasons in our data, which does not always reach back to a player's first year.
Comps
STM Take
Miami 18th overall draft pedigree plus the back-to-back 7-sack early-career seasons plus the multi-year Achilles-ACL injury history puts Phillips in the high-pedigree post-injury recovery EDGE class. The Miami-via-UCLA transfer pedigree plus the structural Dolphins anchor role establish real college foundation. The 2026 question is whether Phillips returns to tier 4-5 territory or whether the structural multi-year injury wear closes the elite chapter expected from a top-20 pick.
Phillips came out of Miami as the Miami Dolphins' 1st-round pick (18th overall) in 2021 after transferring from UCLA. He delivered a 7-sack rookie season and another 7 sacks in 2022 before tearing his Achilles midseason in 2023. He returned in 2024 but tore his ACL late in the season.
Strengths
- Miami 18th overall draft pedigree plus the back-to-back 7-sack early-career seasons establishes structural top-25 EDGE ceiling at peak.
- Miami-via-UCLA transfer pedigree plus five years of NFL development gives him real college foundation.
Concerns
- Multi-year injury history (2023 Achilles, 2024 ACL) puts continued durability question on every 2026 projection.
- Miami's broader defensive identity around the Tua Tagovailoa offensive instability puts continued Phillips production partly outside his control.
What to watch: Whether Phillips returns to tier 5 (top 40) in 2026 post-ACL recovery, the threshold for confirming the elite ceiling can be recaptured.