Clark Phillips has been a starter since the moment he stepped on campus, and he’s added 15 pounds since then. Played on the boundary at Utah, but his size should limit him to the slot. I could be wrong – we’ve seen Asante Samuel Jr play well for the Chargers on the boundary. Played a ton of zone coverage in the Utah scheme, playing mostly a shell coverage style. 

I think that Clark Phillips is who he is at this point in his career. He’s built a good frame and I don’t think he’s going to get any faster, so we know who we have. He’s a capable slot cornerback who can play on the boundary in a pinch, though I wouldn’t want him to stay there for long. 

Clark Phillips III has Jordan Addison in witness protection tonight — 13 receiving yards thru 3 quarters

pic.twitter.com/77X9wX4kVy

— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) December 3, 2022

Missed one game in 2022 with an injury. Banged up his knee in the pre-draft process. 

Clark Phillips III’s scouting report

Athletic Ability (40)

Speed/Athleticism: 20 

• Speed (5/7) – Great quickness. Should test very well. Long speed might be a little more suspect. Looks to be in that 4.55-4.60 range. 
• Lateral Quickness (3.5/5) – Very quick laterally. Good, consistent feet. 
• Acceleration (2.5/4) – Acceleration looks good, not great. 
• Explosion (3/4) – Ridiculously explosive athlete. 

Strength: 10

• Upper Body Strength (3/5) – For what he lacks in upper body strength, he makes up for with his intensity. 
• Lower Body Strength (3.5/5) – Good lower body strength. Very well built. 

Hip Flexibility: 10 

• Change of Direction (4.5/5) – Shows some solid change of direction. Hips might be a little bit stiff, but cheating up and exploding back is flawless. Should test extremely well.
• Recovery (4/5) – Shows good recovery and burst. Works himself back into plays well with the ball in the air. 

Defensive Ability (15)

Tackling: 10

• Tackling Ability (5/7) – Decent tackler. Doesn’t really wrap up but attacks with a lot of hit power. Intense at the point of contact. 
• Space Defending (2/3) – Fairly good space defender. Closes well, willing most of the time to make a play. 

Pursuit: 5

• Pursuit Angles (3.5/5) – Pursuit angles are typically good, can get caught in positions where he under pursues the play when his lack of long speed shows up. 

Coverage Ability  (40)

Man Coverage: 15 

• Man Coverage Ability (7.5/10) – Solid man coverage ability. Plays well in position though his lack of long speed shows up in deep coverage. Very reactive athlete. 
• Physicality (4/5) – So physical at the catch point. Has the tendency to dislodge the ball with his technique – puts his helmet on the catch point. 

Zone Coverage: 10 

• Zone Coverage Ability (5.5/7) – Ball hawk in zone coverage. Took two interceptions back to the house in the first 6 games of 2022. 
• Play Recognition (2/3) – Quick recognition. Can get caught guessing the play, but difficult to get him in that position. 

Press Coverage: 15

• Press Coverage Ability (7.5/10) – Prefers to settle into a trail technique and try to play to the catch point. Typically plays it well but is susceptible deep. 
• Physicality (3.5/5) – Lacks a lot of physicality in press coverage sometimes, other times flashes his physicality. 

Overall: (76) – 3rd/4th Round