2023 NFL Draft Player Profiles: Utah CB Clark Phillips

From now until the 2023 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, I’ll be profiling Utah CB Clark Phillips

Clark Phillips III #1/CB Utah 5’10” 183

Measurements

The Good

— Plays with solid patience and good pad-level in off-coverage, has a nice sink and drive motion in his breaks
— Efficiently breaks from his T-step
— Does a nice job of coming to balance and breaking down when approaching ball carriers in open space
— Breaks well from a crossover run, making him extremely effective in zone coverage
— Plays with naturally low pad level, allowing to change direction fluidly and efficiently
— Great trigger vs WR screen game, does a nice job of slipping blocks in space
— Has shown nice fluidity in his speed turn, allowing him to recovery easily when beaten across his face
— Has both slot and boundary experience entering the NFL
— Played in Invert coverage schemes at Utah, a system which Pittsburgh features in their defense
— Can effectively play from press coverage alignments both in the slot and on the boundary
— Great instincts in off-man coverage, reads quarterbacks drop and keys for quick game, aggressive in jumping routes
— Generates takeaways at an impressive rate, looking to secure turnovers at every opportunity
— Elite ball skills, does an outstanding job of leaning on receivers downfield and high pointing the football to mitigate size disadvantages
— Finishes through receivers hands with violent punches when closing from out of phase, producing plenty of pass breakups

The Bad

— Lacks ideal play strength, tends to slip off tackles at times
— Needs to wrap up more consistently as a tackler, misses far too often in the open field
— Fights and effort are there, but struggles to get off blocks at times
— Can struggle to contest at the catch point against larger framed receivers
— Inconsistent effort as a tackler, talent and ability is all there, but snap to snap consistency needs to improve

Bio

— 112 tackles 5 TFLs 1 sack 2 FFs 1 FR 9 INTs 30 PDs 4 TDs
— 2022: 24 tackles 2 TFLs 1 sack 6 INTs 12 PDs 2 TDs
— Holds Utah school record for pick sixes with four
— Started all 31 games that he played in his Utah career
— 2022 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year
— 2022 Unanimous All-American
— 2022 Finalist for Thorpe Award/Semifinalist for the Bednarik Award
— Fourth in Utah history INT return yards (232) and 10th in PBUs (21)

Tape Breakdown

In two seasons since the departure of Mike Hilton, the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive staff has found themselves undertaking a moneyball style approach in replacing current Cincinnati Bengals every down production, assigning slot snaps between multiple different players in various different roles.