Lonnie Phelps Scouting Report and NFL Draft Player Profile
Lonnie Phelps Scouting Report and NFL Draft Player Profile
2023 NFL Draft Measurements
Lonnie Phelps 40-Yard Dash Time – 4.72 (High School)
6’3” / 245 lbs.
Lonnie Phelps Draft Profile
Lonnie Phelps is a former 3-star recruit out of Mount Healthy High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. In high school, he got ranked as the 50th-best prospect in Ohio in the 2019 recruiting class. According to 247sports, he was also the 67th-best weakside defensive end. While achieving this status, he only received one Division I scholarship offer. This offer came from Miami University (OH).
According to ESPN, in 2019, he played in 13 games where he had 19 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. As a sophomore, he played in 3 games and had 8 tackles and 2 sacks. At the end of the season, he was given Third Team All-MAC. In his final season at Miami, he racked up 30 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery.
After 3 solid years at Miami, Phelps decided to enter his name in the transfer portal along with his teammate Ivan Pace Jr. Shortly after entering the portal, he would enroll at Kansas and finish his collegiate career as a Jayhawk. As a senior at Kansas, he racked up 58 tackles, 7 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and a pass deflection. After having an incredible career at Miami and Kansas, he earned an invitation to the 2023 Senior Bowl.
Strengths
Vision
Lonnie Phelps does a good job of diagnosing the offense. When the ball is snapped, he does a good job of keeping his eyes on the ball. By doing this, he is able to diagnose if the offense running or passing the ball. On pass plays, he does a good job of keeping his eye on the QB while executing his pass rush. When against the run, he is able to keep his eye on the ball so he can clog any gap at the line of scrimmage.
Pass Rush
Phelps was one of the best pass rushers this season and it is clear why that’s the case. When the ball is snapped, Phelps shows good initial quickness out of a 2-point stance. This allows him to get deep in the backfield when running the arc. After getting this deep, he is able to apply pressure on the QB by forcing him up in the pocket.
Lonnie Phelps also has a wide variety of pass-rush moves in his arsenal. He has an impressive swim move that allows him to work back inside and penetrate the B gap. Phelps also does an incredible job of keeping his pad level low allowing him to get around blockers. His low pad level allows him to load his lower body, allowing him to spin out of a block as well as use a rip technique on the outside.
High Motor
Phelps has a very high motor that allows him to play with loads of intensity. He has very active hands that allow him to fight off the blocker’s hands. If his rush breaks down, he shows that he has good enough athleticism to make a play outside the pocket. There were countless plays from his 2022 season where he made tackles far outside the pocket. After seeing this, his draft stock went up in my eyes because it is nearly impossible to teach a high motor.
Athleticism
Phelps is an explosive athlete all around the field. As I briefly mentioned, he has the athleticism needed to make tackles outside the pocket. But, that is far from all that he possesses. When lined up in a 2-point stance, he has good initial quickness to win quickly off the snap. His lateral agility allows him to quickly execute stunts and twists after the snap. Phelps also does a good job of keeping his lower body loaded so he can quickly change directions.
Weaknesses
Play Strength
Phelps is a gifted pass rusher, but his adequate play strength makes him a liability when bull-rushing. When the opposing tackle drops the anchor, he lacks the strength needed to stay low and drive forward. Unfortunately, this often leads to him getting forced vertically and neutralized. Phelps also needs to improve his upper body strength. His active hands allow him to fight off blockers, but his adequate upper body strength stops him from being able to move defenders.
Tackling
Lonnie Phelps does a good job of making stops. But, I have concerns surrounding his consistency when attacking the ball carrier. When watching his film, I noticed that there were several plays where he would attack the lower body of the ball carrier. Unfortunately, when you attack below the hips, your tackles can get shed easily. In order for this to no longer be a concern, he needs to work on consistently hitting the hips or above.
Lonnie Phelps Draft Stock
Lonnie Phelps is a very underrated defensive line prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has a very high motor which as I mentioned earlier can be very hard to teach. Personally, I think that he will get drafted in the middle of day three. The highest that I see him going is the early 6th round and that is if he has a great Senior Bowl and Combine.
Final Thoughts on Lonnie Phelps
Lonnie Phelps was one of the best pass rushers in the Big 12 this past season. Phelps has a good blend of work ethic and athleticism that allows him to consistently pressure the QB. When rushing the passer, Phelps has many tricks up his sleeve which can confuse blockers and lead to a sack. He also does a good job of diagnosing the run and clogging lanes at the line of scrimmage. Overall, I think that Phelps could be a solid situational edge rusher in the NFL if he goes to the right team. A team he would be a good fit for is the Atlanta Falcons when they run their base defense.
Player Comparison
Lonnie Phelps’ ability to read the play and quickly work toward the backfield reminds me of Big Kat Bryant. Phelps also reminds me a lot of fellow 2023 NFL Draft prospect Will McDonald IV.
Lonnie Phelps Scouting Report and Player Profile Analyst – Matthew Lewis
