Clark Phillips III NFL Draft Scouting Report

CB, Utah Utes

Originally committed to Ohio State, Clark Phillips III flipped to Utah and developed into one of the top defensive playmakers in college football and an intriguing NFL prospect. Phillips III started all 31 games for his career, registering nine interceptions with four of those being returned for touchdowns. He was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.

Phillips III is a quick, twitchy, and explosive athlete that has the athleticism and movement skills to mirror and match routes. His change of direction skills and ability to transition is fluid and rapid. Phillips III showcases the ability to be disruptive at the catch point where his recovery speed and ball skills are exceptional. He displays some intriguing competitive toughness where despite his smaller frame, he is willing to come downhill and battle in space to make tackles. Phillips III has spent the overwhelming majority of his snaps on the outside but also has considerable experience playing in the slot.

When studying Phillips III, his impact and elite competitive spirit are impossible to deny. He is a dog! He improved every year at Utah where his reactionary skills developed wonderfully and he continuously showed up with impact plays in the biggest stages.

When it comes to concerns, Phillips III doesn’t offer ideal height, weight, or length. While he competes well above his weight class, teams were not shy about forcing him to play off contact and tackle. While always competitive and aggressive with no passive tendencies, there were instances in which Phillips III’s lack of size presented challenges for him getting off blocks and getting ball carriers on the ground.

Phillips III may not check all the boxes in terms of size but he’s a damn good football player that provides every other desirable trait at a high level to be an impact starter in the NFL.

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Quick feet and fluid hips
• Ball skills
• Competitive toughness
• Coverage instincts

Top Reasons For Concern:

• Size
• Tackling consistency (not due to passive tendencies)
• Playing off contact

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 5′ 9”

Weight: 184 lbs

Arm Length: 29 1/8”

Hand Size: 9 1/8”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: 4.51s

Vertical Jump: 33”

Broad Jump: TBD

Short-Shuttle: 4.32s

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: 18 reps

Ideal Role: Starting outside cornerback 

Scheme Fit: Any but he excels most in man coverage 

Prospect Comparison: Denzel Ward (2018 NFL Draft) 

TDN Consensus Grade: 84.50/100 (Second-Round Value)

• Marino Grade: 84.50/100

Written By: Joe Marino

Exposures: BYU (2021), SDSU (2021), Ohio State (2021), Oregon CCG (2021), Florida (2022), Oregon (2022), Oregon State (2022), USC CCG (2022)

Clark Phillips III NFL Draft Scouting Report. Add him to your big board here.