Big Board ranking: #16
Positional ranking: #4
Overview
Position: CB
College: Utah
Class: Sophomore (RS)
Age: 21
Measurables
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 184 lbs.
Arm length: 29 1/8″
Hand size: 9 1/8″
Athletic testing
40-yard dash: 4.51 sec.
10-yard split: 1.51 sec.
Vertical jump: 33.0″
Broad jump: N/A
Bench press: 18 reps
3-cone drill: N/A
Short shuttle: 4.32 sec.
Strengths
Muscular build despite short stature. Exceptional in both man and zone coverage. Outstanding quickness and instincts. Terrific ability to pattern routes and releases. Excellent acceleration to break on the ball and jump routes. Stays athletic and ready to pounce. Sits on short throws and will make the quarterback pay. Comfortable giving a cushion and understands his own ability to break on a throw. Gets his hand in to defend short in-breaking passes. Good understanding of passing off deep routes when in underneath zone coverage. Great feel in general for awareness and spacing in zone coverage. Will read the quarterback’s eyes and diagnose routes. Above-average speed. Tremendous ball skills. Very competitive at the catch point. Gets his head around while defending downfield throws. Waits until the last moment to get his arm up defending deep balls with his back turned. Vast experience at all three cornerback spots. Better tackler when already broken down in space versus ball-carriers that aren’t at full speed. Shows some aggression getting in position to make tackles. Able to identify screen passes and get in position to make a play. Used as a slot blitzer. Erased slant routes and held his own versus USC wide receiver Jordan Addison (2022). Baited Oregon quarterback Bo Nix into interception out of zone coverage from the slot (2022). Totaled four career pick-sixes.
Weaknesses
Appears shorter than listed measurements. Will grab as receivers get out of breaks if he feels he’s beat. Loses his balance at times and might be susceptible to double moves by being too aggressive playing a break. Reaction time can be slow in off-man coverage. Too much of a fly-by or diving tackler. Needs to clean up tackling technique to be more consistent. Has some trouble getting off blocks due to size.
NFL comparison
Asante Samuel Jr.
Conclusion
Overall, Phillips is a talented cover cornerback that can play both man and zone coverage at a high level on the outside or in the slot. He could be a steal in the second or third round if teams knock him down their board due to size concerns.