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Small but Mighty, There’s a Place for Clark Phillips III in the Commanders’ Secondary

Hogs Haven takes a look at 2023 NFL Draft prospects that could contribute to the Commanders

By dg28
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 02 Pac-12 Championship - Utah vs USC Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Clark Phillips III, CB

School: Utah | Conference: Pac-12

College Experience: Sophomore| Age: 21

Height / Weight: 5’10” / 183 lbs

Projected Draft Status: 2nd-3rd Round

Player Comparison: Jason Verrett

College Statistics

Defense & Fumbles Table
Tackles Def Int Fumbles
Year School Conf Class Pos G Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg TD PD FR Yds TD FF
2020 Utah Pac-12 FR CB 5 22 3 25 2.0 0.0 1 36 36.0 1 2 1 0
*2021 Utah Pac-12 FR CB 14 45 16 61 1.0 0.0 2 54 27.0 1 13 0 1
*2022 Utah Pac-12 SO CB 12 16 8 24 2.0 1.0 6 142 23.7 2 6 0 0 0 0
Career Utah 83 27 110 5.0 1.0 9 232 25.8 4 21 1 0 0 1
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 2/20/2023.

Player Overview

California native Clark Phillips III had almost every major program vying for his talents. The fourth-ranked cornerback in the country originally chose Ohio State, but decided to play at Utah out of 35 offers. Phillips became an immediate starter and played every game in the Pac-12’s pandemic-shortened season. The next year, an impressive stat line saw him earn second-team All-Pac-12 honors. He followed that up with an even better season where he tied for the second most interceptions in college football. He was a first-team All-Pac-12 and a unanimous All-American along with cornerbacks Emmanuel Banks and Devon Witherspoon.

Strengths

  • Quick feet and fluid hips, changes direction with ease
  • Plays with ideal technique and leverage
  • Excellent in zone coverage breaking on routes quickly
  • Combative at the point of catch; a lot of PBUs and INTs

Weaknesses

  • Not afraid to hit, but difficulty tackling because of his size
  • Size may restrict him to playing nickel
  • Can have trouble getting off blocks
  • Can he play press coverage?

Let’s see his work

How he fits on the Commanders

It’s hard to find many flaws in Phillips III’s game, but his size might be too much for him to remain on the boundary at the next level. His temperament and sound technique should see him get a chance to play on the outside. If his size is a limitation on the outside, he has the tools to be a very good slot cornerback. In Washington, Phillips’ abilities in off coverage match well with Jack Del Rio’s scheme in the secondary. He would either start in the slot or compete with Benjamin St-Juste to start on the outside. It looks like there is a place in the Commanders’ secondary for Phillips, but will his value as a player align with any of Washington’s picks?

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