“The process starts with college — we spent a lot of time with [Jaelan Phillips] coming out of college, knowing the person. It’s really easy to scout the player. Really, he’s got freak ability, he can rush, he can set the edge, he can play in space, he’s got a non-stop motor.
I think one of the most fun things to do is to put on his tape and watch his effort. And when you have the athleticism and the physical ability he has, with the effort he has, and then just going and seeing he was Walter Payton Man of the Year in Miami, the things that he does in the community. He comes from an unbelievable family, and then, obviously, Vic [Fangio] was with him.
A lot of times when you’re talking to your coaches, and you have a vision of how the player is going to fit, you have to have those conversations. But that discussion was really easy with Coach Fangio.“