All Dolphins

Phillips Signs Rookie Contract

The Miami Dolphins got their second 2021 first-round pick under contract when they came to terms with edge defender Jaelan Phillips

Alain Poupart

While they're wrapping up their OTAs this week, the Miami Dolphins have continued the process of getting their draft picks under contracts.

The team announced Wednesday via Twitter it had signed first-round pick Jaelan Phillips, the 18th overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft.

The edge defender from the University of Miami becomes the fourth of seven Dolphins rookie draft picks to be under contract, following fellow first-round pick Jaylen Waddle and seventh-round selections Larnel Coleman and Gerrid Doaks.

Doaks, the running back from the University of Cincinnati, turned 23 on Wednesday. Coleman's 23rd birthday is June 22.

The three remaining 2021 draft picks the Dolphins need to sign are second-round picks Jevon Holland, the safety from Oregon, and Liam Eichenberg, the offensive lineman from Notre Dame, along with third-round selection Hunter Long, the tight end from Boston College.

Because of the rookie wage scale that's been part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement since 2011, getting draft picks under contract isn't nearly as complicated as it once was.

As a point of reference, the Dolphins completed signing their draft class last year on July 22 when they agreed to terms with second-round pick Robert Hunt. In 2019, the Dolphins signed all six of their draft picks by June 14, the last being third-round selection Michael Deiter.

Published
Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

Home/News