The Baltimore Ravens entered this offseason needing to replenish depth on the defensive line after Michael Pierce’s retirement and Brent Urban’s uncertain future. They were stout against the run last season, but interior disruption was inconsistent at times—and that could be where Maryland’s Jordan Phillips steps in.
Baltimore still has Nnamdi Madubuike and Travis Jones holding down the trenches, but they need another reliable presence to eat double teams and free up their linebackers. Phillips may not be flashy, but he fits the Ravens’ prototype up front: strong, tough, and difficult to move.
If the Ravens are looking for a rotational defensive lineman with upside to grow into a starting role, Phillips checks the right boxes. Here’s our full scouting profile on the powerful Terrapin defender.
Maryland DT Jordan Phillips 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Notes
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 318 pounds
- Recruiting: 2022 3-star, No. 650 national, No. 91 DL
- Bruce Feldman Freaks List (2024) – 665-lb squat, 365-lb overhead press
- Transferred from Tennessee to Maryland after freshman year
Positives
- Freakish lower-body strength and natural leverage make him a bear to move in one-on-one situations
- Leverage technician who uses wrestling background to control blocks and eat double teams
- Flashes surprising agility when crossing face or tracking runs laterally
- Heavy hands at the point of attack and real knock-back power when he times the snap
Phillips is built to handle the dirty work. He’s stocky, powerful, and has shown he can absorb contact without losing his footing. That matters for a Ravens team that often lives in odd fronts and needs a reliable gap-control presence in the middle.
He plays with good pad level and uses his thick lower half to sit down and anchor. While his pass rush needs development, he’s not a total liability there—he’ll flash a quick swim or spin, and with more refinement, could be a rotational piece on early downs and grow into more.
Negatives
- Offers almost no pass-rush production and hasn’t shown consistent counters or plans on third down
- Below-average arm length limits his ability to extend and shed cleanly
- Plays too far over his toes at times and will lose gap integrity or get washed when his technique lapses
Phillips is not going to juice up the Ravens’ interior pass rush. His role will be narrow early in his career, and he may never be a full-time player unless his get-off and processing improve.
He’s also not a long-levered athlete, which caps his ceiling as a stack-and-shed technician. While his motor runs hot, he can get out over his skis and give up leverage, especially on zone concepts when he’s late reacting.
Jordan Phillips NFL Player Comparison: Alim McNeill
- Primary Comp: Alim McNeill
- Alternative: DJ Reader
- Floor Comp: Jonathan Ford
Phillips has the same squatty, dense frame and explosive lower-body power that made Alim McNeill such a fun projection coming out of NC State. Both are athletic nose tackles who thrive on leverage, hand usage, and point-of-attack power rather than length or refined pass-rush technique.
DJ Reader is the alternative here—another gap-clogging anchor who lives to neutralize double teams and collapse run lanes. Phillips doesn’t have Reader’s length but mirrors the same tenacity and center-mass dominance.
Jordan Phillips 2025 NFL Draft Grade: 3rd round
The Ravens love investing in developmental interior defenders with traits, and Phillips fits that mold. He’ll never be a pass-rush threat, but as a rotational piece who can control gaps and anchor down in short-yardage situations, he’s valuable. With time and technique growth, he could eventually become a starter.