It takes a lot to get Kyle Phillips off-the-charts excited, which maybe is one of the secrets to the former Tennessee defensive lineman being the only Jets rookie undrafted free agent on their 53-man roster this morning and heading toward a pro debut in Sunday's season opener at MetLife Stadium.

"It's definitely something I wanted to accomplish. That was my goal coming from the draft to now was to make the 53-man roster," he told me after Wednesday's practice at the Atlantic Health Training Center. "I'm happy I got to accomplish that and I'm just ready to keep on moving forward and working."

That approach served him well as he showed he belonged through the offseason and the first three preseason games. Then in that often overlooked fourth summer game against the Eagles, Phillips may have won his spot with the first 2.0-sack preseason home game by a Jets defender since LB Calvin Pace in 2009, plus a third QB hit and two half-tackles for loss on running plays.

"It felt really good," he said after that game. "Definitely one of my big goals coming into this game was just working on my technique and making sure I got good pad leverage and get-off and things that our coaches have been teaching us all camp and throughout OTAs. I just tried to incorporate everything those guys taught me to help me elevate my game to the next level."

"I just think the body of work of kind of everything that we've done since we've been here, we felt like Kyle really earned his spot," head coach Adam Gase said. "That's what we're about. We're about the guys that do it the way that we need it done. Best guys are going to make the team."