NFL Draft Profile: Phidarian Mathis, Defensive Tackle, Alabama Crimson Tide

NFL draft profile scouting report for Alabama defensive tackle, Phidarian Mathis.

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#48
Pos: DT
Ht: 6037
Wt: 310
Hand: 1038
Arm: 3458
Wing: 8348
Shuttle: 4.91
Vertical: 23.5
Broad Jump: 0901
DOB: 4/26/98
Eligible: 2022
Wisner, LA
Neville

Phidarian Mathis
Alabama Crimson Tide

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Pros:

Experienced, active defensive tackle with above average size and good length. Mathis is best when he can shed blockers at the point of attack where he utilizes quick hands to beat aggressive blockers. He is very good against zone blocking, maintaining active feet and displaying lateral moving skills before gaining outside leverage and shedding with a rip move. Attacking the chest of blockers at the point of attack, he displays good strength to stand them up. Controlling gaps with his hand usage makes him a capable two-gapper. Mathis defends the run with very high effort, fighting to the whistle and even running to the sideline. As a pass rusher, he is active when taking on multiple blockers, breaking free late based on effort alone. His swipe move is effective thanks to good hand placement. 

Cons:

Lacking athleticism and explosiveness, his get-off is below-average to poor. Slow reaction time further hurts him in that department. Mathis is unable to create knockback and leaves push desired with his below-average bull rush. He is unable to win the leverage battle as a pass rusher consistently. His hands lack violence, preventing him from beating the punch of blockers decisively. Mathis possesses a below-average anchor that can see him getting driven off the ball by double teams. Once opponents latch on to him, he is unable to break free violently. Mathis is an average, inconsistent tackler, leading to frustrating misses. His processing is not at the level expected from an experienced player like him. 

Summary:

Defensive tackle with above average size and good length who comes with a lot of experience. Mathis possesses quick hands and defends the zone running game very well. He lacks explosiveness and power rushing ability as well as hand violence. Mathis projects as a depth piece at defensive tackle who can be reliable when on the field. His potential is limited due to poor athleticism and disruptiveness. 

Background: 

Phidarian Mathis attended Neville High School in Louisiana where he earned USA Today Louisiana All-State recognition and tallied 41 tackles as a senior in 2016, while adding 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks and six quarterback hurries. After high school, 247Sports ranked him as a 4-Star recruit, the 101st-best recruit nationally, the 7th-ranked defensive tackle recruit in the country and the 4th recruit in the state of Louisiana.

Mathis committed to Alabama and redshirted his freshman year in 2017. In 2018, he appeared in 11 games in a rotational role and finished with 18 tackles and one fumble recovery. In 2019, he played in 12 games, started two and finished with 27 tackles and half a tackle for loss. In 2020, Mathis’ production continued to improve as he finished with 31 tackles, five tackles for loss and one and a half sacks. 2021 has been his best season yet, being named a permanent team captain, starting all games and finishing with 46 tackles, eight and a half tackles for loss and eight sacks. Mathis was named a second team All-American honoree by the AFCA, he earned All-SEC Second Team recognition from the conference coaches and was named to the SEC Community Service Team for his work off the field.

Mathis’ mindset off the field helps translate to his and Alabama’s strong play on the field. He preaches about the importance of team leadership and holding each other accountable, “The team leadership, I think it does play a big role because some players, they can ‑‑ I mean, I feel like they understand it better when it's coming from their own peers and not just coach. When players hear stuff come from us, they understand, all right, they got this mindset, so we have got to have this mindset also.” Mathis’ play has improved drastically over his career at Alabama and that is largely due to his ability to identify his weaknesses and work on them, “For me, the biggest thing was just getting better at pushing the pocket, working on my pass rush and just staying lower and being more aggressive.” With eight sacks in 2021, Mathis has turned his work into production. Mathis’ energy and motor is always apparent when watching him, whether it’s pursuing the ball to the sideline, jumping on the pile to finish a tackle or celebrating with his teammates, Mathis is a ball of energy, and he knows it, “I’ve always been told that people love to see big guys get down the field. You don’t see that as much,” Mathis said. “Running is something I love to do. It’s just in my genes, I guess.”

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One-Liners

Experienced defensive tackle with above average size who plays with active hands and defends the zone running game well. Lacking athleticism and power rush ability limits him to a depth piece. 

Grades

Current Player Value/Potential Player Value

6.6/7.0

Scheme Fit: Interior defensive linemen who excels in a 3-4 defense, can play nose, 3-tech and 4i-tech. Best in a gap control system where he is tasked with holding the POA rather than slanting gaps. 

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