Former NFL Coach Jim Mora Breaks Down Whop Philyor's NFL Draft Stock
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Whop Philyor has been training for the NFL Draft in Arizona and Atlanta, currently working out in the latter ahead of Indiana's Pro Day on April 2.
Philyor is fresh off a four-year career at Indiana, where he accumulated 2,067 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. He was one of three Indiana players invited to the NFL Combine this year, despite the event not actually taking place due to COVID-19, players were still able to get opportunities to speak with teams.
"That was a dream come true," Philyor said Monday. "Even though we didn't have a combine I kind of teared up a little bit because I was so happy that I got it. All the hard work paid off."
The NFL Draft is set to take place on April 29-May 1, so ahead of the draft and Philyor's pro day, we caught up with college football analyst Jim Mora, who used to be a head coach with the Atlanta Falcons and UCLA Bruins, to discuss Philyor's draft stock.
Mora broke down his attributes, and where he sees Philyor getting drafted.
"They're going to have concerns about his weight and his ability to make contested catches," Mora said. "He's got good hands, not elite hands. He drifts a little bit in his routes, but that can get figured out. Look, this is a tough dude, man, he's a gritty kid. He's a productive player. He's been a productive player. I like the fact that he can work inside. He can get by you deep. He can get up the field and do some things long range. He's a high-octane player."
Philyor played both inside and outside while at Indiana, and he said he is comfortable playing whatever teams need him to play in the NFL.
"He's kind of an ideal slot guy. A matchup guy in the slot that can do some things in there," Mora said. "I think he'll probably be a day three draft pick. I think when he gets to camp and people start to work with him, and they start to understand how dang tough and gritty he is, and how willing he is to work hard to be an NFL player, that he's gonna be one of those guys where they go, 'Dang, we got this guy in the fifth round. This is unbelievable.'"
Philyor is currently ranked as the 20th-best receiver heading into the NFL Draft, according to Sports Illustrated's NFL Draft Bible.
Most of the mock drafts have Philyor being picked somewhere between the fourth and seventh rounds. Some of the popular team names in the draft projections for Philyor are the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texas, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Either way, many expect the former Hoosier to hear his name called at some point during the NFL Draft.
Philyor said he expects to play special teams early on his career, but he's just excited to get to work and show people what he can do.
"I think fans are going to fall in love with his toughness," Mora said. "I think he's going to have some really productive preseason games. I think he's gonna contribute somewhere next year. You just don't have a kid that's that productive at a school like Indiana that doesn't go on and play in the NFL."
*This is part of a four-part series analyzing every Indiana player heading into the 2021 NFL Draft.
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