Carrying in the suddenly strong UVA tradition of producing NFL-caliber tight ends under coach Al Groh, Phillips went from being a part-time starter to first-team All-ACC selection in 2008. Teams looking for an athletic receiver to threaten the seam should look elsewhere, but as a secure short- to medium-range target with the size and strength to contribute immediately as a blocker, Phillips quietly ranks as one of the draft's better all-around tight ends. Had an arm span of 34 1/2 inches and a hand span of 10 1/4 inches at the combine.

Talented two-way player at tight end and defensive end for coach Will Fields at Bath County HS ... considered the 24th-best tight end nationally by CollegeFootballNews.com and ESPN.com, and 30th by Scout.com ... 3 stars by Scout.com ... 87th on Scout.com's East Hot 100 list ... listed as the No. 15 player in Virginia by SuperPrep, 16th by Scout.com, 21st by TheSabre.com and 24th by Rivals.com ... listed 16th among players in Virginia by the Roanoke Times and 24th on the Charlottesville Daily Progress "Gold List" ... named first-team All-State tight end as a senior when he caught 40 passes for 714 yards and five touchdowns ... Roanoke Times All-Timesland tight end and region defensive Player of the Year his final year ... first-team All-State at tight end and second-team as a defensive end as a junior ... caught 25 passes for 495 yards and six touchdowns in just 10 games that season ... finished his career with 87 receptions for 1,513 yards and 16 touchdowns ... defensively he had 324 tackles, including 90 for loss and 42 sacks ... also a standout in basketball and baseball ... three-time All-Pioneer District honoree in both sports ... All-State and MVP in baseball in 2004.

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Positives: Prototype height for the position with long limbs. Solid build with room for additional growth. Reads the defense and can find the soft spot in the short and medium levels of zone coverage. Reliable hands. Catches the ball cleanly with his hands and secures it quickly. Good body control to catch the pass outside of his frame. Lacks the quickness off the snap that teams prefer, but accelerates smoothly. Physical inline blocker. At least adequate quickness off the snap and laterally for the down block. Provides a good initial pop and effort as a drive blocker. Veteran with four years of starting experience.

Negatives: Strictly a short- to medium-range target. Lacks the straight-line speed to challenge the seam. Only adequate elusiveness to make defenders miss in space. Occasionally lines up in the slot, but lacks the burst off the snap to continue in this role in the NFL. Could use more bulk in his upper body. Provides pop as a blocker, but lack of initial quickness evident in this area, as well. Struggles to recover if beaten initially.

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