The New York Jets made one of the unsung yet great moves of August when they traded with the Minnesota Vikings for defensive tackle Harrison Phillips.
Phillips remains one of the top people-movers on the interior of the defense, and he’s also a great dude who has been nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
With the Jets, Phillips already knows how important he’s going to be.
He’s in town, in large part, to help Quinnen Williams succeed.
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Why Jets traded for Harrison Phillips
Quinnen Williams shared with ESPN’s Rich Cimini what the first thing Phillips said to him was:
“The first thing he said was, ‘I have to keep you clean.’ So he’s talking my language already.”
Even the best defensive linemen benefit from the presence of talented players around them.
If Phillips can occupy offensive linemen, it can allow Williams to eat as a playmaker on the inside.
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Phillips finished 18th in run stop EPA among defensive tackles last season, per Cimini, which was better than his new teammates Williams and Javon Kinlaw.
When you put them all together, it could make a strong unit.
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