Some inside the Utah football program believe that Clark Phillips III was the most special player the Utes ever fielded on the defensive side of the ball.
Basically, Pac-12 opponents just didn’t want to throw in his direction.
The Utah star has been projected anywhere from the first round to the third round, but I just don’t see him falling anywhere past the early-second round. But he’s definitely good enough to go at the end of round one as one of the best cornerbacks in the 2023 draft class.
The Bengals are probably hoping either Brian Branch or Antonio Johnson fall to them here, but they’ll go the next best defensive back option with Phillips who I happen to be very high on after watching him dominate at Utah for the past couple of years.
Phillips has quick feet and good ball skills as evidenced by his eight interceptions and 19 pass breakups over the past two seasons at Utah. Oh, and he’s a pick-six threat with his ability to jump routes as he finished his Utah career with four touchdowns.