The 2018 NFL Draft Prospect series breaks down draft-eligible players, highlighting their college production as well as their NFL potential. It’s important for daily fantasy players to know about NFL rookies before they’ve played a down of professional football because they are among the most misvalued assets in all of DFS. People who know NFL rookies have a significant DFS edge. The draft will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, from April 26-28.
This piece is on Virginia Tech wide receiver Cam Phillips.
For more on all the other receivers in the class, see our 2018 NFL draft wide receiver rankings.
Updated as of Mar. 18.
Senior | 6’0″ and 201 Pounds | Born December 16, 1995 (Age: 22) | Projection: Rounds 5-7
Combine numbers: 40-yard: DNP | bench reps: DNP | 3-cone: DNP | 20-yard shuttle: DNP | vertical: DNP | broad: DNP
A strong high-school receiver who was named the Offensive Player of the Year for the state of Maryland as a senior, Phillips had a solid if unspectacular college career. After functioning as the third receiver in the offense for his first two seasons on campus (89 receptions for 1,080 yards and five touchdowns in 26 games), as a junior he emerged in first-year head coach Justin Fuente’s offense and was every bit as important to the system as wide receiver Isaiah Ford and tight end Bucky Hodges, both of whom he had previously played behind. In total, he had 1,123 yards and five touchdowns on 76 receptions and 30 rushes. His versatility as a ball carrier was especially notable, and out of all VT runners with at least 25 attempts he led the team with his rushing average of 4.7 yards per carry.
As a senior, Phillips enjoyed less raw production — the offense as a whole declined following the departure of Ford, Hodges, and quarterback Jerod Evans — but Phillips still managed a respectable 974 yards and seven touchdowns on 71 receptions and one carry in 12 games, and he easily led the team in all receiving categories and had a 33.9 and 35 percent market share of the team’s aerial yards and touchdowns. While Phillips never had a truly dominant season, he’s a solid route runner and possession receiver with the potential to serve eventually as a reliable No. 3 option in a passing attack. Although Phillips attended the combine, he didn’t participate in any of the drills because he was recovering from a sports hernia surgery he underwent in December. If he has a poor showing at or is unable to participate in his pro day, he could fall out of the draft.
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Matthew Freedman is the Editor-in-Chief of FantasyLabs. He has a dog and sometimes a British accent. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he’s known only as The Labyrinthian.
Photo Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
