Harrison Phillips Likes ‘Position Flexibility’ on D-Line
In addition to holdovers Harrison Phillips (6-3, 307), Jowon Briggs (6-1, 313), Mazi Smith (6-3, 337) and Payton Page (6-4, 300) GM Darren Mougey reinforced and bulked up the Jets’ defensive interior in the NFL Draft and free agency.
“It’s not often a 310-pound D-tackle is a smaller D-tackle in your room,” D-tackle Harrison Phillips said, speaking about himself, after Tuesday’s joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. “I don’t know everyone’s weight, but I think I’m on the lighter side of our guys.”
The Jets selected DT Darrell Jackson Jr. (6-5, 315) in Round 4. In free agency, the Green & White added David Onyemata (6-3, 300), and they also traded for T’Vondre Sweat (6-4, 366). Second-year DT Jack Heflin (6-4, 304) signed a reserve/future contract in February and has had several impressive reps this summer.
“What I do like is that we have a ton of position flexibility,” Phillips said. “Even though we have some large people, they have different skill sets, and it’s going to do a lot for us. This is a matchup league. I know you hear that more on how running backs and tight ends fit up with linebackers or corners versus receivers, but it’s the same thing in the trenches.
“And so we might see a team that’s got a tackle who can’t sit on power very well. So, we have some really big body people that we can go out there and say, ‘Hey, let’s get some work on this tackle.’ A week later, we might see a light center who can’t anchor to power, and now we’re able to move guys on that guy and say, ‘Hey, you know, we’re having issues, or we got a two-hand puncher. We need a guy who can win through the B gap high.’ We got a body type and a skill set that can do that. And so I think the versatility of our defensive front is really good.”