The Eagles acquired Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins for a 2026 third-round pick. Howie Roseman is keeping me extremely busy this week, but this was an exciting player to watch at least! Phillips is playing on his fifth-year option and will be a free agent after the season. It’s a short-term play for a player with legitimate upside. Phillips is a former No. 18 overall pick who has battled through a moped accident, concussions, and two major lower-body injuries (Achilles in 2023, ACL in 2024).
When healthy, though, he’s shown real star flashes, especially under Vic Fangio in 2023 when he recorded 6.5 sacks in 8 games before his Achilles injury.
This is based entirely on the 2025 film! Let’s go!
Jaelen Phillips
Phillips’ 2025 tape shows a player shaking off some rust after his injury and regaining his form. He’s not the 2023 version yet, but I think he’s been getting better throughout the year. This is what I saw in the film! I focused heavily on the pass rush because this is what the Eagles added him for.
Pass Rush
Phillips wins with speed, fluidity, and rush sequencing. He’s not a pure bull-rush player, but a rhythm-based rusher who uses tempo, hand fighting, and inside counters to create space. He’s not going to blow you away with his speed-to-power moves. These were the things that stood out…
- Explosive get-off: His first step forces tackles to open early, creating angles for inside moves.
- Inside counters & stunts: Excellent on loops and twists, timing his entry with great feel. His best pressures come when crossing the face of interior offensive linemen, exploiting guards with slower feet.
- Hand usage: He knows how to win with technique, not just raw athleticism. This is a smart rusher.
- Intensity: Against mobile quarterbacks, he can chase them down after getting pressure due to his speed and intensity. He plays hard!
His bull rush is an interesting case study. He rarely threatens off the edge, where he plays too high and loses leverage. But inside against guards, it’s surprisingly effective!
It’s a quirk that actually suits Fangio’s stunt-heavy fronts, allowing Phillips to collapse pockets rather than bend around them.
However, there are some obvious negatives that I’ve noticed from this year too…
- Finishing: He affects plays without always closing them. He has an excellent pressure rate this year, but hasn’t converted it to sacks and QB hits.
- Bending the edge: I think the injuries have affected his lower-body flexibility, and he can’t turn the corner like he did before.
- Hand placement/Rush lane integrity: Needs to strike earlier and lower to avoid losing leverage. He can get pushed too wide and behind the QB, which leaves escape lines behind him
- Coverage detail: I wasn’t overly impressed with him dropping into coverage, but I don’t think the Eagles are going to ask him to do it that much!
These are all fixable, mostly technical issues, and not related to effort. He’s clearly seeing the game well and plays very hard. The movement looks cleaner than it did early in the year, based on the games I watched.
Run Defense
As I said, I focused mainly on pass rush, but from what I saw, he has been solid against the run. He sets a firm edge and forces cutbacks, helping funnel runs into pursuit. He’s not a pure run-stuffer, but he’s not a liability either, and he plays the position with discipline. I think you can play him on all downs and not worry too much.
Scheme Fit
Fangio has blitzed more than usual to create pressure, which is unusual for his system. Phillips gives him a path back to his preferred structure where he can generate pressure with four rushers while keeping coverage integrity behind it. Obviously, Fangio has coached Phillips before and knows that he fits really well into his system. He has spoken very highly of him. There’s no projection needed here.
Expect Fangio to lean into stunts and twists with Pillips as a looper/inside penetrator. He can be used as a pure EDGE rusher, but can also line up inside on obvious passing downs as part of a 4 or 5 man front. Fangio knows how to use players who can win with movement, not just raw power, just like Phillips! Phillips also complements the Eagles’ existing edge mix well. I don’t think the Eagles have someone who plays as he does. He is a true pass rusher with an explosive get-off.
Overall
This is a move I really like for the Eagles. This is my favorite move they have made, because I think he’s still got a lot to offer. Jaelan Phillips is a talented pass rusher (the kind that doesn’t come available often midseason), and he immediately gives the Eagles something they’ve been missing. His get-off, pursuit speed, and ability to stress protections inside or out make him different from anyone currently on the roster. In fact, I think he’s the most talented pure edge rusher the Eagles have right now. He’s not just another rotational body; he’s the type of player who can create splash plays, and that’s a valuable trait in a defense that’s had to manufacture pressure more than Fangio would prefer.
Yes, there are flaws. He still plays too upright at times, the bend and flexibility aren’t quite all the way back, and his injury history will always create some anxiety. But most players available midseason have issues. If a player like this were perfectly healthy and consistent, he likely wouldn’t be available or would cost a 1st-round pick! What you’re betting on here is the combination of elite traits and athleticism, scheme familiarity, and a physical trajectory that’s heading the right way the further away his bad injuries get.
Even if it’s just a one-year rental, I think the Eagles badly needed another pass rusher, so I’m glad they did something. Edge rushers with Phillips’ natural explosiveness and athleticism are incredibly difficult to find. If he closes the season strong, there’s no reason to rule out the Eagles trying to keep him beyond 2025. For now, this is precisely the kind of aggressive move that defines Howie Roseman as a general manager. He is rarely happy to settle for ‘good enough’ and wants to swing for the fences. I’m excited to watch him!
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