‘Holy crap. Look at the body. Look at the work.’ — A young Miami Dolphins breakout candidate receives major praise from a pair of former players
The 2026 Miami Dolphins have no shortage of breakout candidates. But one just got some major praise from a pair of former players.
The Miami Dolphins‘ depth chart is littered with possible breakout candidates.
It’s one of the exciting elements of this 2026 season. There’s so much opportunity…some players will undoubtedly rise to the occasion. But which ones will make the most of the moment? Odds seem to be trending towards second-year defensive tackle Jordan Phillips being one of them. Phillips earned strong reviews throughout the course of the offseason program. But he got another endorsement this past week from a pair of former Miami Dolphins — Kim Bokamper and Joe Rose threw Phillips some kind words on the latest edition of their “Out To Pasture” podcast.
Second-year defensive tackle Jordan Phillips receives major praise from a pair of former Miami Dolphins
“I watched (Phillips) a lot during the OTAS and during the mini camp. His body has changed completely. And I’m telling you what, you just look at his fundamentals. He gets in his stance. He’s got a flat back. His head is lower than everybody else. And when you’re a defensive player like that, you want to be low and be able to to be able to to to push up on the offensive lineman…I mean, he was out there damn near breaking the machines when they’re doing uh doing drills on those on those dummies.”
— Former Miami Dolphin and CBS-4 analyst Kim Bokamper on defensive tackle Jordan Phillips
Bokamper, of course, was a standout linebacker for the Dolphins in the Shula era. He knows what good defensive fundamentals look like. So his praise for Phillips is noteworthy — although Rose took it a step further.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen a young guy come into camp, mini camp — not regular camp — in that kind of shape where everybody went, “Holy crap. Look at the body. Look at the work,” said Rose.
Phillips will, of course, need to put this work into application on the field. Based on the flashes he had throughout his rookie season, it feels like a safe bet to happen. But once that comes, the biggest remaining question for Phillips will be how well he can develop as a pass rusher. There’s little doubt Phillips is going to command respect at the point of attack. But can he be a disruptor in the passing game? If we get THAT from him? Look out.
Phillips has plenty of time, too. He just turned 22 years old and already has an NFL season under his belt.
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