Robichaud / Western Michigan CB Darius Phillips 2018 NFL Combine Results

The 2018 NFL Combine took place earlier this month and 8 Michigan High School Football graduates participated.

Robichaud / Western Michigan CB Darius Phillips graduated from high school in 2013 and played 4 years at Western Michigan Michigan + he had a Redshirt. Phillips was shockingly under-recruited out of high school and he showed it soon into his career.

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 193 lbs

Arm Length: 31 1/2"

Hand Length: 9 1/8"

40-Yard Dash: 4.54 seconds

BIO - "Under P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan got some of the better in-state recruits to sign on, like Phillips was out of Dearborn Heights Robichaud. As a redshirt freshman, he was a receiver (32 receptions, 479 yards, two TD) and third-team All-MAC kick returner (30 att., 792 yards, TD). Coaches switched him to defense before the 2015 season, and he ended up a second-team All-MAC pick. Phillips belied his receiver hands with a tenacity on the edge, racking up 48 tackles, five for loss, with two forced fumbles. Despite lacking great size or strength, he ranked fifth in the country with 21 passes defended, including five interceptions. Phillips also excelled at the corner spot as a junior, intercepting four more passes (three returned for touchdowns) and breaking up 11 others to go with 40 tackles, four for loss. He continued his special teams prowess in 2015 (36 att., 837 yards, TD kick returns) and 2016 (37 att., 833 yards, TD kick returns; 19 att., 223 yards, TD punt returns), using his speed and open-field vision and agility to enhance the Broncos' field position. Phillips got on the national radar with his first-team all-conference play as a defender (40 tackles, five for loss, three interceptions, 10 pass break-ups, two forced fumbles) and return specialist (26.3-yard average, two TD on kick returns; 13-104 on punts) in 2017. Phillips made plays in non-conference games against USC (INT, 100-yard kick return) and Michigan State (INT, three PBU, fumble return for TD) to start the year, catching the eyes of NFL scouts."

Overview - "Ball-hawking cornerback with athletic ability and short area quickness to handle man coverage from slot and the instincts to play zone effectively. Phillips will have to move inside due to his lack of size so his issues in run support could be exploited by offensive coordinators. He should test well at the Combine so his draft value will depend directly on how teams prioritize toughness versus ball skills."

"He's a pretty good man cover talent but he's just so soft against the run. He's a pure nickel who can play man or zone and he gets the ball so he's going to play." - NFC North team area scout

Strengths - "Adequate quickness in his backpedal, Has lateral movement to disrupt route release, Can turn and sprint without a hitch, Plays with body control and doesn't panic in his coverage, Closes distance to receiver on vertical throws before turning to find ball, Stays in phase against comeback routes, Fluid from route to route in zone, Anticipates routes and throws, Former wideout with plus ball skills, Able to track and high-point downfield, Understands when to break it up and when to take it away, Strong ball production totals for three years, Takes initial step towards passing lane when closing on throws, Pulls and rakes at catch point, Has four years of kick return experience including five touchdowns, and Handled punt return his final two seasons."

Weaknesses - "Has to clean up some of the excessive hand-checking, Can be lackadaisical when playing trail technique, Will peek in backfield too long allowing workable separation, Short strider may lack the makeup speed to make plays once he's beaten deep, Doesn't have height and length to play outside, Takes occasional dicey angles that lead to big plays, Looks small and plays small against the run, Passive demeanor in run support will make him a target, Gives in too easily to blocks and waits for others to make the tackle, and Grab and drag tackler." - NFL.com