Position: Cornerback
School: Utah
Year: Covid Sophomore
Measurables: 5’19 189
NFL Comparison: Tyrann Mathieu
Player Overview
The all-American corner is the cream of the crop in this years cornerback class. At about 5’10 to 5’11, Clark Phillips III has recorded 9 interceptions, took 4 back for touchdowns, and has made 109 tackles in his career. His best games are against Ohio State in the 2022 Rose Bowl and Oregon State in 2023. In both games, Clark showed his willingness to tackle, his coverage ability, and recovery ability after being beat.
Strengths
Clark is a tough corner with great ball skills. Clark shows great mobility to change his hips and position. He’s on of the most fluid corners in this class.
Furthermore, Clark shows a willingness to make the tackle even on bigger players. Throughout his career, Clark has played plenty of zone defense with a mix of man coverage. The great attribute of Clark is his natural instincts. He has a very high football IQ that which makes him a dangerous foe to go against.
Improvements
While his coverage skills are nice, Clark Phillips III has to get better getting off of blocks when he comes to make a tackle. Also, Clark plays a soft coverage at times which allows for openings when he is defending. His instincts allows him to recover and make the play. In the NFL, that could become a liability.
Additionally, he’s not the biggest or the strongest corner on the field. At some point, the question of is he an outside corner or a slot corner will have to be answered. On film, Clark looks great on the outside, however the NFL might see otherwise.
Best Fit: Jaguars
Draft Projection: Round 1