Utah's Clark Phillips Drafted By Falcons in 4th Round

The Atlanta Falcons selected Clark Phillips III with the 113th overall pick (4th round, pick 11) of the 2023 NFL Draft. The 5’9” versatile cornerback came to Utah to be developed into an NFL player, and he did just that.

With some of the taller, higher graded cornerbacks off the board, Falcons are getting one of the strongest defensive backs in the draft. Phillips put up 18 reps on the bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Phillips was an impact player on the Utah defense from the moment he stepped onto campus in the 2020 class. The former 4-star cornerback was the no. 8 cornerback in the class and started in all 31 games he played in while at Utah.

A playmaker and a tough, physical corner, Philips recorded 9 career interceptions and 21 pass breakups. Of those 9 interceptions, Phillips returned four of them for touchdowns. His 3 interceptions against Oregon State in 2022 was Utah’s first three-interception game since 2009, and he also recorded a pick-six in that game.

Phillips leaves the collegiate game with the following honors: 2021 Pac-12 All-Conference and AP All-Pac-12 Second Team, 2022 Pac-12 All-Conference First Team, 2022 Unanimous First Team All-American, 2022 AP Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, and was a 2022 Jim Thorpe Award Finalist.

The Atlanta Falcons are getting a student of the game that has a good feel for reading the quarterback’s eyes. He played primarily on the outside in college, but played a lot of snaps at nickelback. He is a tough, smart football player that should be able to contribute right away.

Former Utah cornerback Javelin Guidry is also listed on the Falcons roster. Phillips joins a cornerback room including former first-round picks Mike Hughes and Jeff Okudah.