Kyle Philips NFL Draft Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 5′-11″
Weight: 191 pounds
School: UCLA
Kyle Philips 2022 NFL Draft Profile
After spending his collegiate years at UCLA, wide receiver Kyle Philips is skipping over his final year of eligibility to declare for the 2022 NFL Draft. The slot receiver is coming off the best season of his young career, recording 59 receptions on 94 targets for 739 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Philips initially entered the college football world as a four-star recruit. Signing with UCLA, Philips only played in four games as a true freshman before taking a redshirt season. During his redshirt freshman season, Philips set a school record with 60 receptions for 681 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games. Philips played in just seven games in 2020, but he still managed to record 38 receptions for 370 yards and two touchdowns while on the field.
Strengths
- Elite underneath quickness – impressive feet on display;
- One of the best route runners in the class – knows how to create short pockets of separation;
- Can vary speeds to keep defenders on their heels;
- Understands defenses and how to get open against various coverages;
- Experienced on special teams with legitimate upside as a punt returner.
Weaknesses
- Exclusively a slot option – won’t win on the outside;
- Underwhelming deep speed – isn’t going to take the top off a defense;
- Drops more passes than you’d like;
- Mediocre burst out of his cuts;
- Limited catch radius shows up on inaccurate targets.
NFL Comparison: Danny Amendola
Teams With Need at Position: Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints
Projection: Rounds 3-4
Bottom Line on Kyle Philips
Kyle Philips is one of the safest projections in this class. Scouting is an imprecise science, and every player has a range of outcomes, but Philips’ range is much smaller than your typical prospect. He’s going to be a slot receiver and serve as some quarterback’s safety blanket, but he won’t win outside and he probably won’t be anything more than a solid depth option in the offense.
In order to succeed as a slot receiver, you need to know how to get open quickly against a wide variety of coverages, and Philips is an expert in that regard. His lateral quickness is already NFL-caliber, as opposing slot cornerbacks won’t be able to match his cuts at the top of routes. This creates a window for a quarterback to get him the ball for a quick gain in the short part of the field.
Philips doesn’t have the speed to blow past defenders, but he’s already aware of this and has learned to adapt. The wideout varies his speed during his routes, lulling defenders to sleep and creating separation with bursts of acceleration. These skills are also on display when he’s returning punts, as his quick footwork and varied pacing allow him to avoid would-be tacklers and pick up some extra yards on special teams.
Philips has a role in the NFL, but his physical shortcomings will prevent him from ever developing into anything more than an average player. He lacks the size and strength to win outside, and he doesn’t have the speed to churn out big plays after the catch. Additionally, for a guy who’s going to make his money on quick, safe passes, you’d like to see him haul in more off-target but catchable passes. Ultimately, Philips is a good football player, but he probably won’t ever become a great one.
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