Falcons CB Clark Phillips III named team’s biggest draft steal

One year ago, the Atlanta Falcons landed one of the biggest steals in the 2022 draft when they selected running back Tyler Allgeier out of BYU in the fifth round. Allgeier rushed for over 1,000 yards during his rookie season, and he should be a big part of Atlanta’s offense for years to come.

Joining Allgeier in the backfield this season is first-round pick Bijan Robinson. While fans have debated whether or not it was the right call to take a running back in the top 10, it’s hard not to get excited thinking about what the combination of Robinson and Allgeier could do in Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense.

But which member of the 2023 draft class will give the Falcons the most bang for their buck? Touchdown Wire released a feature naming one steal from each draft class, and fourth-round pick Clark Phillips III was their pick for Atlanta’s biggest draft steal:

Phillips is the first of two steals at cornerback in this draft whose size was the only real debit. He may not fit everyone’s prototype at 5-foot-9 and 184 pounds, but he proved more than able to shut down some of the NCAA’s best receivers both outside and in the slot. Last season, Phillips allowed 41 catches on 66 targets for 511 yards, 286 yards after the catch, four touchdowns, six interceptions, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 68.4. You need look no further than the work he did against USC’s Jordan Addison (who was taken by the Vikings with the 24th overall pick) to understand Phillips’ NFL potential. — Doug Farrar, Touchdown Wire

It’s easy to see why Phillips is the pick here. Not only is he someone who was undervalued due to his size, he was considered a lock for Day 2 in most pre-draft projections.

The Falcons secondary has undergone a bit of a makeover this offseason. Casey Hayward has been swapped out for Jeff Okudah, and Isaiah Oliver has been replaced by Mike Hughes. However, the team’s biggest offseason addition was that of safety Jessie Bates III.

Atlanta’s pass defense needs all the help it can get. In 2022, the team allowed 231.9 yards per game through the air.