The 2023 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Clark Phillips 2023 NFL Draft Profile.
Position: Cornerback
School: Utah
Size: 5-foot-9, 184 pounds
Class: Junior
2022 Stats: 24 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sacks, 6 passes defended, 6 interceptions
Phillips really grew to stardom at Utah over the last two seasons. He is now in the 2023 NFL Draft.
As a four-star recruit out of California, Phillips decided to sign with Utah out of high school. As a freshman in 2020, Phillips started all five games, registering one interception and two passes defended. The Utes went 3-2 that season. In 2021, he improved with 13 passes defended and two interceptions. Utah also improved by going 10-4 and making the Rose Bowl. For the 2022 season, Phillips had six interceptions and six passes defended. His play led Utah back to the Rose Bowl for the second straight season.
After opting out of the Rose Bowl, Phillips declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. He is a projected second or third-round pick.
Phillips has very good ball skills. He does a good job of turning his head around and finding the football. Once he finds it, he attacks the catch point. He came away with plenty of passes defended and interceptions over his career. To make things even better, he has a good history of being able to return interceptions for touchdowns.
His awareness and football IQ are very impressive. He shows good route recognition and knows how receivers will try to attack him. Phillips also shows good eye balance between the quarterback and the wide receiver. These tools help Phillips play with anticipation and help make him more effective.
He has solid athleticism for a corner as well. Phillips has decent speed and can match up athletically with NFL receivers. He does have some trouble changing directions, but he also has a little recovery speed to make up for him. His athleticism allows him to make so many plays on the ball.
The first thing people will notice about Phillips is his size. He stands at 5-foot-9 and 184 pounds, which is below average for the cornerback position. Phillips also has very short arms at just over 29 inches. His lack of size makes him a candidate to move to the slot, even though he played on the outside in college. This also makes it tough for him to battle against bigger receivers who have larger catch radii.
He has tight hips, which makes it hard for him to change directions quickly. This could cause him to have a tough time mirroring in man coverage at the next level. While he is a solid athlete, his transitions can be pretty messy at times.
Phillips will not provide the greatest run support. He struggles to shed blocks and the aggression that he shows in coverage is not the same against the run. His size plays a factor in this, but he can still improve in this area. He also could tackle better to help his run defense.
Projected Draft Range: Second Round Pick-Third Round Pick
Draft Grade: Second-Round Pick
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