<img alt="NFL: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Xp9RDcgSHv04R7prYu3HJ6gO2wM=/0x1:2063x1376/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73373931/usa_today_22126765.0.jpg">
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The deciding factor for the Falcons starting cornerback competition could be more about run defense than pass coverage. The Atlanta Falcons have no clear-cut candidate to start at the cornerback position opposite A.J. Terrell. So it was a mild surprise to see the team not invest in any defensive backs in last month’s NFL Draft. That leaves several candidates already on the roster in the mix for the vacant spot.
One of the prime candidates for the open spot is second-year cornerback Clark Phillips, who did good work in coverage across five starts at the end of the 2023 season at outside cornerback. Perhaps that late-season play instilled faith that it should be Phillips’ job to lose.
However, Phillips must show he can be a reliable tackler in run support if he wants to lock down that starting spot later this summer. With the Falcons expected to employ a zone-heavy scheme under new head coach Raheem Morris and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, tackling becomes much more important. The premise of zone defense is the willingness to concede easier completions underneath, leading to minimal gains because of the defense’s ability to swarm receivers and rally to the ball.
Phillips struggled at times with tackling during his starts in 2023 in part due to his short arms. Phillips has 29-inch arms, which rank in the first percentile among all cornerbacks since 2009, according to MockDraftable.com. Also, per PFF, Phillips missed six tackles in 2023, leading to a missed tackle rate of 18.2 percent, ranking 111th out of 132 qualifying corners. When asked why the team values length in their draft picks, Morris mentioned how it correlates to better tackling due to the ability to wrap up ball carriers.
Phillips’ wingspan will always be underwhelming, thus preventing him from being a great wrap tackler. But he could offset his limitations with added mass hoping that he can use physics (force = mass x acceleration) by increasing his mass to generate more force behind his tackles. To my eye, Phillips looked a bit more filled out in his upper body at his recent presser during OTAs. That’s a good sign.
Phillips’ biggest challenger for the vacant starting cornerback spot appears to be Mike Hughes. At least during this section of the offseason, Hughes has received the lion’s share of first-team reps opposite Terrell. Morris and the other coaches quickly point out that roster battles won’t truly begin in earnest until training camp in July. But it is noteworthy that when assistant coach Jerry Gray was asked about the cornerback position, it was Hughes rather than Phillips that he mentioned by name along with nickel cornerback Dee Alford.
That suggests that it is in fact Hughes’ job to lose, sparking questions of why he should be considered the front-runner. One reason for that preference may be Hughes’ reliability in run support. In 2021, when Hughes started at outside cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs, he had a missed tackle rate of 5.8 percent. In 2022 with the Detroit Lions, in eight games where Hughes played predominantly outside, his missed tackle rate was 4 percent.
The other possible competitor here is Antonio Hamilton, signed this offseason after three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. His own 2023 missed tackle rate in nine starts was just 7%, with an 8.3% rate in five starts and 10 games in 2022 and a 5% missed tackle rate in 17 games and a pair of starts in 2021.
Even though Hughes is only marginally bigger than Phillips, he’s been a much more reliable tackler throughout his career than Phillips proved to be in 2023. I’m sure most would agree that Phillips’ upside in coverage is intriguing and something worth the Falcons developing in the future. But if he cannot show greater consistency in run support, those developmental opportunities could remain limited.
<img alt="NFL: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Xp9RDcgSHv04R7prYu3HJ6gO2wM=/0x1:2063x1376/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73373931/usa_today_22126765.0.jpg">
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The deciding factor for the Falcons starting cornerback competition could be more about run defense than pass coverage. The Atlanta Falcons have no clear-cut candidate to start at the cornerback position opposite A.J. Terrell. So it was a mild surprise to see the team not invest in any defensive backs in last month’s NFL Draft. That leaves several candidates already on the roster in the mix for the vacant spot.
One of the prime candidates for the open spot is second-year cornerback Clark Phillips, who did good work in coverage across five starts at the end of the 2023 season at outside cornerback. Perhaps that late-season play instilled faith that it should be Phillips’ job to lose.
However, Phillips must show he can be a reliable tackler in run support if he wants to lock down that starting spot later this summer. With the Falcons expected to employ a zone-heavy scheme under new head coach Raheem Morris and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, tackling becomes much more important. The premise of zone defense is the willingness to concede easier completions underneath, leading to minimal gains because of the defense’s ability to swarm receivers and rally to the ball.
Phillips struggled at times with tackling during his starts in 2023 in part due to his short arms. Phillips has 29-inch arms, which rank in the first percentile among all cornerbacks since 2009, according to MockDraftable.com. Also, per PFF, Phillips missed six tackles in 2023, leading to a missed tackle rate of 18.2 percent, ranking 111th out of 132 qualifying corners. When asked why the team values length in their draft picks, Morris mentioned how it correlates to better tackling due to the ability to wrap up ball carriers.
Phillips’ wingspan will always be underwhelming, thus preventing him from being a great wrap tackler. But he could offset his limitations with added mass hoping that he can use physics (force = mass x acceleration) by increasing his mass to generate more force behind his tackles. To my eye, Phillips looked a bit more filled out in his upper body at his recent presser during OTAs. That’s a good sign.
Phillips’ biggest challenger for the vacant starting cornerback spot appears to be Mike Hughes. At least during this section of the offseason, Hughes has received the lion’s share of first-team reps opposite Terrell. Morris and the other coaches quickly point out that roster battles won’t truly begin in earnest until training camp in July. But it is noteworthy that when assistant coach Jerry Gray was asked about the cornerback position, it was Hughes rather than Phillips that he mentioned by name along with nickel cornerback Dee Alford.
That suggests that it is in fact Hughes’ job to lose, sparking questions of why he should be considered the front-runner. One reason for that preference may be Hughes’ reliability in run support. In 2021, when Hughes started at outside cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs, he had a missed tackle rate of 5.8 percent. In 2022 with the Detroit Lions, in eight games where Hughes played predominantly outside, his missed tackle rate was 4 percent.
The other possible competitor here is Antonio Hamilton, signed this offseason after three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. His own 2023 missed tackle rate in nine starts was just 7%, with an 8.3% rate in five starts and 10 games in 2022 and a 5% missed tackle rate in 17 games and a pair of starts in 2021.
Even though Hughes is only marginally bigger than Phillips, he’s been a much more reliable tackler throughout his career than Phillips proved to be in 2023. I’m sure most would agree that Phillips’ upside in coverage is intriguing and something worth the Falcons developing in the future. But if he cannot show greater consistency in run support, those developmental opportunities could remain limited.
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