Miami Hurricanes’ defensive end Jaelan Phillips was selected with the 18th overall pick by the Miami Dolphins Thursday night in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
NFL Draft Central | ProCanes | Jaelan Phillips Bio
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Miami Hurricanes’ defensive end Jaelan Phillips was selected with the 18th overall pick by the Miami Dolphins Thursday night in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
After a prolific 2020 season with the Hurricanes, Phillips became the first edge rusher selected in the first round. Since 2000, Miami has had 31 student-athletes taken in the opening round of the NFL Draft, which ranks third-most among all FBS programs.
With his selection by the Dolphins, Phillips became the 17th defensive lineman from the University of Miami selected in the first round, the most of any program in NFL history. Phillips’ selection marked the fifth straight year Miami has had at least one defensive end drafted into the NFL.
A first-team All-America by Walter Camp and AFCA this past season, Phillips started all 10 games in the regular season and finished with 45 total tackles and a team-high 15.5 tackles for loss. Phillips finished with a team-high eight sacks and added five quarterback hurries.
Phillips, who was a semifinalist for the 2020 Bednarik Award honoring the nation’s top defensive player, was named to the All-ACC Second Team and a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).