Finding Broncos: Kyle Philips | WR

Measurements

Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 189 pounds
Arms: 29-5/8 inches
Hands: 8-5/8 inches

Combine Results

40-Yard Dash: 4.58 seconds
Vertical Jump: 33.5 inches
Broad Jump: 124 inches

Stats

Pros

Philips has some solid lateral footwork that he has to rely on to beat press coverage.
He keeps his feet at the same pace throughout his routes.
He has developed some good tricks to help him get an opening during college.
While his footwork isn't super clean, it is good enough.
He offers up good value as a returner in the NFL.
During college, he beat some great corner prospects.
His route running technique is great.
He showcases a high football IQ with how he can find the soft spot in zone.
He knows how to operate the scramble drill.
He shows a good ability to adjust to get the low balls.
There is an excellent ability to track the football.
He has exceptional toughness and isn't afraid to work in the middle of the field.

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Cons

Philips isn't immune to drops.
He will need to have more focus to secure the catch.
He is limited to a slot-only receiver.
There isn't much variance with his route running, and it can be easy to stick to.
His catch radius is on the limited side.
Philips doesn't have the speed to challenge the top of defenses.
He doesn't have much burst to get instant separation.
He lacks the reach or high point ability to extend his catch radius.

Overview

Teams looking for a slot receiver would be smart to look at Philips. He has a good football IQ to find the soft spot in zone coverage and be that tough receiver in the middle of the field. However, his limited catch radius will be an issue in the NFL if teams don't find a way to overcome it.

There is good footwork with Philips to help him get open or get through a tough press at the line of scrimmage. He also faced some tough cornerbacks during his time in college, and he stepped up to the challenge. Most of his wins come from his ability to see the field and find an opening.

Philips won't fit with every quarterback or in every scheme because of the limitations of his game. While teams are using more receivers, they still want versatility, and they don't get that with Philips. he is an old-school slot receiver entering the NFL in a time where more dynamic players are wanted at the position.

Fit with Broncos

The Denver Broncos are pretty much set at the receiver position with a group of dynamic receivers. However, they still need some additional depth at the position and someone who can offer up returner abilities. So, while Philips isn't the most dynamic receiver, he could fit with the Broncos because of the returner's ability.

What Philips brings as a returner isn't because of his dynamic athletic ability but because of how he sees the field and finds the best lane. Although there are not a lot of returns in his career, as he has 26 total punt returns, he did return two of them for a touchdown. He is reliable to field the punt with zero muffed punts and manages to get a decent return. There also aren't the bad decisions on when to field the punt or to let it go.

Denver could look at Philips because of the reliability as a returner, something they haven't had for a while. With what he brings on offense, they could still find ways to use him as part of the rotation, but the limitation to the slot is a bit of a problem. On top of that, Philips does his best attacking the middle of the field, where Jerry Jeudy does his best work. You wouldn't want to pull Jeudy off the field for Philips.

Grade: Early Round 3

Where he Goes: Mid/Late Round 3

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