Dolphins make Jaelan Phillips 1st edge defender taken in draft at No. 18

The Miami Dolphins bolstered their pass rush by selecting edge defender Jaelan Phillips out of Miami 18th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Phillips is coming off a breakout college season that saw him rack up 45 tackles (15.5 for loss of yards), eight sacks, and one interception in 10 games.

The 21-year-old spent his first two college seasons at UCLA in 2017 and 2018 and had to sit out in 2019 after agreeing to transfer to the Hurricanes. He briefly retired from football after the 2018 campaign due to several concussions and other injuries.

The Dolphins amassed 41 sacks last season, ranking 11th in the NFL.

Phillips is the Dolphins' second selection Thursday after they selected wide receiver Jaylen Waddle sixth overall.

Draft profile

Key stats: 8 sacks, 15.5 TFLs, 45 tackles

Phillips is this year's clear No. 1 edge defender and a slam dunk first-rounder in virtually any draft class based on talent alone. The Miami product makes the jump to the NFL after demonstrating nearly everything you want to see from a pass-rusher, with a pro-ready tool belt of rush moves, the athletic ability to execute against top competition, and the run-game impact to have an every-down role from Day 1. The injury history is no doubt a factor here, with several ailments leading to his medical retirement at UCLA in 2018 before he restarted his career with the Hurricanes the following year. But if teams are comfortable with his background, there's little reason not to love everything about Phillips' potential at the next level.