Photo by: Billie Weiss
Phillips To Provide Championship Value For NFL
April 24, 2020 | Football, #ForBoston Files
This is exactly the type of pick football analysts will love
The NFL Draft is easily recognized for its celebratory atmosphere. The first round's pageantry consistently delivers unmatched emotion, making it one of the most unique nights of the entire sports calendar year. The swirling analysis surrounding the picks only adds to the drama as experts and prognosticators attempt to project a franchise's fortunes around a single athlete.
The first night's event overshadows the draft's real value, which extends well beyond the often-glittery announcement and delves deep into the second and third days. It's where the heartbeat of a gridiron chess match pumps adrenaline to its scouts, staffers and fans as teams maneuver to increase depth and talent along every position.
Those later rounds are Boston College's football sweet spot. The Eagles are increasingly recognized for their 20 first-round selections, but are more easily loaded with unknown and undervalued players. They are identified for their ability to reward franchises with championship rosters once they rise to the top of evaluation boards, and this year, it will likely happen again with players produced in Chestnut Hill.
"(A player like) John Phillips was a father figure to a lot of guys on the team," running back AJ Dillon said. "He was someone who had been (in the offense) for a while and always did the right thing. He just kept grinding every day. We were bummed out that our Pro Day got canceled (because) having him up front made me confident running to his side."
Dillon is BC's sparking headliner among draft prospects, but Phillips constitutes a major piece of his individual success. The Eagle offense was run-heavy but centered itself around complex schemes and intelligent blocking. It went further than straightforward strength and much deeper than raw horsepower. It incorporated intense study elements and baked thoughtfulness into the scheme while drawing inspiration from the professional levels.
"BC was really diverse," Phillips said. "We ran the ball a lot, but it took 20 different schemes. We had gap schemes, outside zones, inside zones, insert run plays, counters, and just about every run you could find in a playbook. That went for a lot of the passing schemes too. We just did a lot of what the NFL teams do. Our most successful plays came from something that the Tennessee Titans ran. San Francisco had some of what we did. What we did isn't too far off to what pro teams are doing."
The entire mentality positions Phillips as a great option for the value portion of the draft and reinforced why Boston College plays the role on teams' prospect boards. Buffalo, for example, drafted linebacker Matt Milano in 2017's fifth round and developed him into a starting linebacker, and his success convinced the Bills to dip back into BC's waters for Tommy Sweeney in last year's seventh round.
Denver likewise took the repeat approach to its defense when it drafted Justin Simmons in 2016 and Isaac Yiadom in 2018, respectively.
Phillips, though, possesses added potential because of Boston College's offensive line brand. He played with Chris Lindstrom and leaned on Aaron Monteiro for advice about how to approach the draft, and the knowledge line stretches back further to players like Ian Silberman and Andy Gallik. That duo earned late-round selections in 2015 by leaning on players like Matt Tennant, who went in the fifth round in 2010.Â
It's a lineage capable of drawing from the first-round experience of Lindstrom, Anthony Castonzo and Gosder Cherilus, all of whom prepped with lessons handed down from James Marten and Josh Beekman. It's a direct pedigree through history and is a book written by players like Jeremy Trueblood, Dan Koppen, Marc Colombo, Paul Zukauskas, Darnell Alford, Doug Brzezinski and Damien Woody.
"I got to watch and learn at BC from Jon Baker," Phillips said. "He did everything right and did it all 120 percent. I molded myself after him and after he left, I picked up the torch. That's what I tried to do, to lead by example as well as I could. I wanted to grab people and take them with me."
Every player stood in BC's tradition with their own spin, and Phillips is no different. He played 48 games as a versatile guard along the line and consistently switched from the left to the right based upon the team's needs. He settled into the right side last season and instantly proved himself with more than 70 snaps against Virginia Tech. He played 80 snaps against Kansas later in the year and once again went over 70 against NC State, a game in which the Eagles bulldozed to almost 500 yards on the ground.
"I'm a tough consistent player who knows what he's doing," Phillips said. "I never tried to call myself a freak athlete, but I'm consistent. I know the game of football, and one of the big things is my eagerness to learn new things. I'm excited to do it, and it's a whole new chapter."
Phillips can and ultimately will fit the bill for any of the NFL teams who take a look. He's big and rugged but smart and thoughtful. He processed bytes of football data in the seconds before the huddle and the snap before delivering for one of the best rushing attacks in the ACC. He was a preeminent force who worked hard and never stopped thirsting for knowledge. It drove him to revered status in Chestnut Hill and, as the offseason began, continued through the abbreviated draft preparation period. Now it's just up to whichever team is smart enough to reciprocate the brains by choosing him among the selections of the NFL professionals-to-be.
"When I was in Florida, I trained with some quarterbacks," he continued, "so I got to ask them about coverages. When I was in college, you'd go to your offensive line coach to learn more, but I was curious to find out more about everything. I wanted to learn as much about seeing the field (as they did)."
The NFL Draft wraps up on Saturday with rounds four through seven. Coverage begins at 12 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network.
Â
Â
The first night's event overshadows the draft's real value, which extends well beyond the often-glittery announcement and delves deep into the second and third days. It's where the heartbeat of a gridiron chess match pumps adrenaline to its scouts, staffers and fans as teams maneuver to increase depth and talent along every position.
Those later rounds are Boston College's football sweet spot. The Eagles are increasingly recognized for their 20 first-round selections, but are more easily loaded with unknown and undervalued players. They are identified for their ability to reward franchises with championship rosters once they rise to the top of evaluation boards, and this year, it will likely happen again with players produced in Chestnut Hill.
"(A player like) John Phillips was a father figure to a lot of guys on the team," running back AJ Dillon said. "He was someone who had been (in the offense) for a while and always did the right thing. He just kept grinding every day. We were bummed out that our Pro Day got canceled (because) having him up front made me confident running to his side."
Dillon is BC's sparking headliner among draft prospects, but Phillips constitutes a major piece of his individual success. The Eagle offense was run-heavy but centered itself around complex schemes and intelligent blocking. It went further than straightforward strength and much deeper than raw horsepower. It incorporated intense study elements and baked thoughtfulness into the scheme while drawing inspiration from the professional levels.
"BC was really diverse," Phillips said. "We ran the ball a lot, but it took 20 different schemes. We had gap schemes, outside zones, inside zones, insert run plays, counters, and just about every run you could find in a playbook. That went for a lot of the passing schemes too. We just did a lot of what the NFL teams do. Our most successful plays came from something that the Tennessee Titans ran. San Francisco had some of what we did. What we did isn't too far off to what pro teams are doing."
The entire mentality positions Phillips as a great option for the value portion of the draft and reinforced why Boston College plays the role on teams' prospect boards. Buffalo, for example, drafted linebacker Matt Milano in 2017's fifth round and developed him into a starting linebacker, and his success convinced the Bills to dip back into BC's waters for Tommy Sweeney in last year's seventh round.
Denver likewise took the repeat approach to its defense when it drafted Justin Simmons in 2016 and Isaac Yiadom in 2018, respectively.
Phillips, though, possesses added potential because of Boston College's offensive line brand. He played with Chris Lindstrom and leaned on Aaron Monteiro for advice about how to approach the draft, and the knowledge line stretches back further to players like Ian Silberman and Andy Gallik. That duo earned late-round selections in 2015 by leaning on players like Matt Tennant, who went in the fifth round in 2010.Â
It's a lineage capable of drawing from the first-round experience of Lindstrom, Anthony Castonzo and Gosder Cherilus, all of whom prepped with lessons handed down from James Marten and Josh Beekman. It's a direct pedigree through history and is a book written by players like Jeremy Trueblood, Dan Koppen, Marc Colombo, Paul Zukauskas, Darnell Alford, Doug Brzezinski and Damien Woody.
"I got to watch and learn at BC from Jon Baker," Phillips said. "He did everything right and did it all 120 percent. I molded myself after him and after he left, I picked up the torch. That's what I tried to do, to lead by example as well as I could. I wanted to grab people and take them with me."
Every player stood in BC's tradition with their own spin, and Phillips is no different. He played 48 games as a versatile guard along the line and consistently switched from the left to the right based upon the team's needs. He settled into the right side last season and instantly proved himself with more than 70 snaps against Virginia Tech. He played 80 snaps against Kansas later in the year and once again went over 70 against NC State, a game in which the Eagles bulldozed to almost 500 yards on the ground.
"I'm a tough consistent player who knows what he's doing," Phillips said. "I never tried to call myself a freak athlete, but I'm consistent. I know the game of football, and one of the big things is my eagerness to learn new things. I'm excited to do it, and it's a whole new chapter."
Phillips can and ultimately will fit the bill for any of the NFL teams who take a look. He's big and rugged but smart and thoughtful. He processed bytes of football data in the seconds before the huddle and the snap before delivering for one of the best rushing attacks in the ACC. He was a preeminent force who worked hard and never stopped thirsting for knowledge. It drove him to revered status in Chestnut Hill and, as the offseason began, continued through the abbreviated draft preparation period. Now it's just up to whichever team is smart enough to reciprocate the brains by choosing him among the selections of the NFL professionals-to-be.
"When I was in Florida, I trained with some quarterbacks," he continued, "so I got to ask them about coverages. When I was in college, you'd go to your offensive line coach to learn more, but I was curious to find out more about everything. I wanted to learn as much about seeing the field (as they did)."
The NFL Draft wraps up on Saturday with rounds four through seven. Coverage begins at 12 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network.
Â
Â
Players Mentioned
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
TE
/ Football
DB
/ FootballWomen's Tennis: Nadia Check In (Oct. 28, 2025)
Tuesday, October 28
Women's Tennis: Freshman Check in (Oct. 28, 2025)
Tuesday, October 28
Football: Head Coach Bill O'Brien Media Availability (October 28, 2025)
Tuesday, October 28
Football: Jordan McDonald Media Availability (October 28, 2025)
Tuesday, October 28
