Clark Phillips III Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Utah Athletics)

School: Utah (Junior)

Position: CB

HT: 5’10

WT: 185 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #39

Clark Phillips was a consensus 4-star recruit out of La Habra, California. Phillips was ranked as the 4th best cornerback in the nation and had all eyes on him since before he even stepped foot on the Utah campus.

Clark Phillips III has some of the best true ball skills and instincts at the cornerback position in his draft class. He has extremely quick and agile feet that allow for him to have the necessary stop-and-go and change of direction abilities to keep with any type of receiver that likes up across from him. He has loose hips to allow for that change of direction to keep up with receivers on deep routes. It cannot be underestimated how quick and fast Phillips is, expect him to clock in at around 4.4 speed at his combine and Pro Day. This combination of speed and elite ball skills make up a player that can play anywhere in the secondary. I would mostly like to see him play in the slot as a nickel corner but he can more than hold his own on the boundary. His ability to close in on the ball while in zone is worth noting, the volume of the field that he consumes due to his speed and ball skills is more than the average cornerback.

Unfortunately, a majority of the flaws in his game stem from his frame. At 5’10 and 185 pounds, it is gonna be hard for him to press the bigger X receivers in the NFL. This is why I think he should convert to a primarily slot cornerback role at the next level. Being able to stick to the hips of quicker and smaller receivers will not give him as much trouble as getting physical close to the line of scrimmage with a big X receiver would. Phillips also needs to improve his run defending abilities, not only is he unwilling to involve himself in the run game, but when he does get involved, he often gets stuck on blocks and can’t get to the ball carrier as quickly as you would like, if at all. To finish off the areas that need improvement, Phillips projects to be a strictly zone corner. He was much more effective in zone coverage at Utah and that won’t change in the NFL. While he is stellar in zone, not being a good man coverage corner does hurt his draft stock.

Clark Phillips III has great instincts in zone coverage, making offenses always have to be aware of where he is on the football field. He uses his speed and rangy coverage ability to take up large chunks of the field. While he may be a tad bit scheme specific, if he is put in the right positions, he will succeed.

Scheme Fit: Soft Zone Coverage

Ideal Role: Nickel Cornerback

Best Team Fits: PIT, DET, IND

Player Comparison: Asante Samuel Jr.

Player Grade: 81.1