(Editor's Note: While the start of the 2018 NFL Draft isn't until April 26, it's never too early to profile some of the key participants. The staff of DallasCowboys.com intends to preview the landscape of the draft's top prospect, with an emphasis on possible Cowboys draft picks – from the first round to the last. Today's featured player is Stanford's Harrison Phillips.)
- Name: Harrison Phillips
- Position: Defensive Tackle
- College:Stanford
- Height/Weight:6-4 / 255
- Honors:An All-Pac-12 honorable mention pick his junior season, Phillips made first-team All-Pac-12 as a senior and was named third-team AP All-America.
- Key Stat:Phillips led Stanford with an astounding 103 tackles in 2017. He was the only FBS defensive lineman to reach the 100-tackle mark, according to the school's official web site.
Where He's Projected:
Phillips is generally considered a first- or second-round pick who might sneak into the end of Round 1.
How He Helps The Cowboys:
Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli is all about motor, and Phillips has it. The 300-pounder was extremely active on the Cardinal's interior line, and not just against the run. He tallied 14 sacks over the past two seasons. Maliek Collins played both defensive tackle spots for the Cowboys last season, and restricted free agent David Irving can play any spot on the line. A prospect like Phillips would offer more depth and position flexibility to a rotation that typically uses eight linemen throughout the game.
- One of the most productive defensive tackles in college football history.
- Uniform is always dirty. A tackle-for-loss machine.
- Has a wrestler's mentality when it comes to leverage and angles.
- Disruptive and hard working. Rarely quits on the play. Always working toward the ball.
- When he wins on the initial snap, he can be difficult to block.
- If he has an issue, it's that he tends to end up on the ground. If blockers catch him just right, he will struggle.
- One of the better defensive tackles in this draft at a position that is really deep. Will likely come off the board as a late one or early two.
