by Bob Gaughan, Buffalo Sports Page
Round: 3rd Round, #96 Overall
Name: Harrison Phillips
College: Stanford
Position: Defensive Tackle
Height & Weight: 6′ 3″ 307 lbs
Key Stats: 100 Tackles last year as a DT. He had 42 reps on the bench press at the combine. That was the most of any defensive lineman at the combine. Very smart guy he had the highest score on the Wonderlic for a defensive lineman.
Where He Fits on Bills: Will back-up Kyle Williams and Star Lotulelei this year.
Who He Pushes Off Bills Roster: He will be the replacement for Kyle Williams next year. This appears to be Williams last year and Phillips is the perfect replacement for Williams.
Expected to Start Right Away?: Not expected to start this year. The Bills love to rotate like many teams their defensive lineman so even though he might not start Phillips will play a lot this year. I’d expect him to start next year or this year if Williams or Lotulelei get injured.
Bob’s Take: I love this pick. I can’t believe he was still on the board. Mike Mayock had him as his 46th best player; Gil Brandt had him at 56. Most mock drafts had him going in the second round. The fact that the Bills got him at the end of the third round is a steal. One just needs to look at his huge back and bench press stats and it shows that Phillips greatest strength is pressing the pocket. He was a wrestling champion in high school. Sean McDermott an old wrestler himself must love that. He uses the wrestling background to shed blocks effectively and make plays. As mentioned above for a defensive lineman to have 100 tackles in one year is incredible. The tape shows he can handle the run, but at the Senior Bowl I thought he even showed some nice pass rush ability. I mentioned before the draft how I love all the Stanford defensive players in this draft. He will be able to penetrate just like Kyle Williams. In fact when you look at the draft comparisons the person he compares to is Kyle Williams.
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