Falcons Rookie CB Clark Phillips III to Start, Says Ex GM

Clark Phillips III could be starting for the Atlanta Falcons in his rookie season as the nickel cornerback.

Jeremy Brener | May 4, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons may have gotten a steal in the NFL Draft in fourth-round cornerback Clark Phillips III.

The Falcons selected Phillips with the No. 113 overall selection in last week's draft, which isn't exactly the place in the weekend where you expect to find a starter. However, the nickel corner is a need for the Falcons that had to be addressed, and Phillips could compete for the starting job this summer.

In fact, former NFL general manager Rick Spielman believes that Phillips has a shot to not only compete for the starting spot, but to win it outright.

"He was another fun player to watch on tape," Spielman said. "He has unique ball skills. For a small corner, he played outside in the Pac-12 and did a phenomenal job covering those receivers. He's tough, he's gritty, he'll come up and support. Where he fell is because he didn't run fast enough at the Combine. When you've got a small corner that's quicker than fast, automatically as a general manager or a scout, you're going to put him in as a nickel. The way he plays the game - how smart and how intelligent he is, he's going to be a starter in the nickel for them."

Despite standing just 5-10 and weighing 183 pounds, Spielman thinks Phillips is an "exception to the rule" in regards to his size.

If Phillips can defy the odds and his size doesn't become an issue, the Falcons might have found a starting defensive back on Day 3. And if you include Bijan Robinson and Matthew Bergeron likely fulfilling expectations, that could mean at least three starters for the Falcons in this year's draft class, and that's the kind of haul that can get a team back in the playoffs.

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Published May 4, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.