Philips goes to Tennessee

The Titans selected UCLA WR Kyle Philips in Round 5 of the 2022 NFL Draft. Philips led the Bruins in catches in each of the past 3 seasons, finishing 4th in school history with 163 career grabs. The 5’11, 189-pounder played almost exclusively in the slot. He’s shifty and explosive in tight quarters, but he has a small catch radius and isn’t going to offer much downfield. Phillips looks like a low-upside fantasy prospect – and this is a low-upside landing spot.

Terry McCormick of Titan Insider reports that rookie WR Kyle Philips got some slot work in with the 1st team Tuesday. We'll see whether that can develop into a full-time role. The 5th-round pick has generated a little buzz among observers since spring and brings a strong college production profile. Neither Philips nor the role appears to carry high upside, but there's at least opportunity in an offense where the top 2 WRs are expected to be another rookie (Treylon Burks) and a vet coming off an ACL tear (Robert Woods). We talked Philips -- and the rest of the Tennessee offense -- on our recent AFC South preview podcast.

Titans WR coach Rob Moore gave his assessment of Round 5 rookie WR Kyle Philips. "He's starting to understand some of the fundamentals he has to develop and how he's going to have to play in this league, in regards to being able to create separation and to be effective on a consistent basis. And those are things he is figuring out right now," Moore said. "But the kid has really good short area quickness and he has a lot of tools to build on.” QB Ryan Tannehill complimented Philips’ route running, quickness and agility. The UCLA product isn't going to overwhelm DBs at 5’11, 191 pounds, so his ability to grasp the nuances of route running will be key. Despite a thin WR corps, Philips must compete to secure a spot on the regular season roster.

Ben Arthur of The Tennessean believes rookie WR Kyle Philips “could have an immediate impact” with the Titans. A 5th-round pick, Philips isn’t a dynamic athlete, and he doesn’t bring ideal size. But he’s a quality route runner, as Arthur points out. The UCLA product could see day 1 slot snaps; just don’t expect much of a fantasy impact alongside Robert Woods, Treylon Burks and Derrick Henry.