2018 NFL Mock Draft: Chiefs look to go best available at position of need
By Britt Zank
ROUND 2 – PICK 22 (54TH OVERALL): HARRISON PHILLIPS, DL (STANFORD)
The defensive line is definitely a need for the Kansas City Chiefs and they get a gem at pick 54 in Harrison Phillips out of Stanford.
The 6’3 300lb Phillips plays far larger than his size. He was rated the number one run stopping interior lineman in college football last season. His stats back that up as he recorded 103 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in his senior season at Stanford.
My favorite part of Phillips is his style of play, he’s not an elite athlete so he makes up with a strong motor and aggressiveness. Words like “animal” and “bulldog” have been used to describe his aggressive style of play and that is exactly what this Chiefs defense needs.
I’ve heard all the rumors of the Chiefs trading up either into the late first or early second round to get a top cornerback. While that is a need, the defensive line is the teams biggest need and if they can grab Phillips at 54 there is no reason to waste picks moving up in the draft. The team has multiple needs and will need all the picks they can get to fill them.
What the experts are saying…
"Phillips plays a little upright and looks more like a guard than nose, but he definitely has the leverage and power to play to anchor and muddy the run game waters. Phillips has a feel for blocking schemes and is able to handle down blocks and double teams while allow linebackers to flow to the ball. As a former wrestler, he’s a natural scrambler with non-traditional ways of finding the football and finding the quarterback. He has early starter potential and could find snaps on passing downs as well. -Lance Zierlein, NFL.com"