Ex GM Rick Spielman says rookie will start for Falcons
Clark Phillips III could be starting for the Atlanta Falcons in his rookie season as the nickel cornerback.
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.