Falcons Sign Draft Pick Clark Phillips III: Contract Details
The Atlanta Falcons’ rookie class is close to being official.
Shortly after confirming the signings of first-round pick Bijan Robinson and seventh-round selections DeMarcco Hellams and Jovaughn Gwyn, the Falcons stayed busy.
Per release, Atlanta has officially signed fourth-round pick and former Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III to his rookie deal.
The only members of the Falcons’ six-man draft class who remain unsigned are second-round offensive guard Matthew Bergeron and third-round defensive end Zach Harrison.
According to OverTheCap, Phillips’ four-year contract is worth up to $4.6 million with $773,532 fully guaranteed and comes with a cap hit of $750,000 in 2023.
Phillips, a unanimous All-American, fell during the pre-draft process due to his lack of great size, as he stands just 5-9, 184 pounds, but he has tremendous ball skills, having recorded six interceptions this past season after leading the Pac-12 in passes defended the year before.
The 21-year-old Phillips may be relegated to playing nickel only at the next level, but he arrives in Atlanta with a ready-made skill set and tremendous intangibles, according to Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot.
"You can’t have too many defensive backs who can cover and take the ball away," Fontenot said. "He's a tough, competitive player who came from a tough program. He’s about what we’re about so we’re excited to add him to the group."
Phillips can realistically get on the field for a significant number of snaps during his rookie season and helps satisfy a long-term need at corner - and coach Arthur Smith believes he’ll be an asset both inside and outside.
"He can do both," Smith said. "A guy like Clark, highly productive (at) which I think's one of the better programs that's sustained success, have a lot of respect for Utah's program. We loved our interactions with him - this is a guy we had conviction on across the board and we were excited he was there."
Now, Phillips is officially a Falcon - and Atlanta’s draft class is just two signings away from being official.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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