Draft Analysis: Kyle Philips

April 19, 2022 /
  • Height: 5’11”
  • Weight: 189lbs
  • College: UCLA
  • Tape watched: Hawai’i, LSU, Oregon
  • NFL Comparison: Julian Edelman

Pros

  • Route Running
    Kyle Philips has good football IQ and route running tendencies. He is able to read and react to defender leverages and plans his attacks accordingly. He keeps his center of mass hidden and ducks his shoulder well through contact. He does tend to waste a lot of time with rocker steps, and can get off balance when he could just put his foot in the dirt and create more space. Often times there is not enough body movement or speed to threaten the defender off of his mark. With his short area quickness, Philips will be best used within 10-15 yards downfield.
  • Blocking
    As dedicated as they come, Philips tries to hit someone on every play. Often used as an inline pulling blocker, Philips creates more than enough speed and power to be effective in the run game. He sets up blocks well by stalking, and creates a sturdy enough base to maintain his block.
  • Hands
    When given room, Philips makes all kinds of plays on the football. His quick hands stab the ball outside of his smaller catch radius. He tucks the ball quickly and rarely double catches. He does struggle a bit in close quarters with defenders near him and during contact. If he can become a more consistent combat catching, tight window receiver, he will reach his maximum upside.

Midline

  • Release
    Philips usually does a good job of staying low and keeping defenders arms away from his chest and shoulders. There were times that he lost that battle and was affected throughout the entire route. His short area quickness should allow him to keep defenders on their heels in the slot, and minimize his press opportunities.

Cons

  • Athleticism
    There are real deep speed concerns, as Philips truly did not separate downfield from defenders. He will need to continue to develop strength through his route stems and work on making his breaks more consistent. He ran exceptionally well in his agility drills at UCLA’s pro day, which were big questions that were not answered at the combine.
  • Catch Radius
    Finding himself below the 7th percentile in hand size, arm length, and wingspan, Kyle Philips will struggle to make plays out of structure. There will be routine NFL plays that just can’t happen due to Philips’ size disadvantages.
  • Versatility
    Philips will be limited to the slot in the NFL, due to his size, speed, and experience in college.

Overview

A virtual twin to Julian Edelman with respect to testing numbers and body composition, the right offense may find a valuable slot piece for their team in Kyle Philips. Philips has that fire that Edelman played with as well, both in the blocking game and his route pacing. The biggest question mark will be his ability to make difficult catches and learning a pro style offense as opposed to the RPO experience at UCLA. High IQ, sound route runners with the skill and desire to block always find homes in the NFL. Kyle Philips gives you the baseline, with the upside of a dependable short area receiver.