Bears Film Review: What CB Clark Phillips III Brings to Dennis Allen's Unit
Clark Phillips III is the newest member of the Chicago Bears' secondary. Here is what the former fourth-round pick brings to the defense.
Video Transcript
What's going on everybody?
Nicholas Moriano here from Roundtable Sports.
The Bears made a trade with the Atlanta Falcons, sending defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. To Atlanta.
In return, they got Clark Phillips III, the cornerback, and a fifth-round draft pick.
Well, I went into watching some film from Clark Phillips from his 2024 season, because he only played in one game in 2025 after he tore his tricep in week four, and I watched his week 18 performance in the high-scoring game against the Carolina Panthers that actually ended in a 44-38 overtime win for the Panthers.
But in that game, Clark Phillips put a lot of good stuff on tape.
There were a couple of third-down stops where the Panthers are trying to win a matchup.
Xavier Legette, the former 2024 number 32 overall pick in the first round, tried to isolate him on Phillips, and Phillips is a smaller corner, 5'9", 183.
Phillips is able to, one, run and turn with the Panthers wide receiver down the left sideline.
It was not a great throw by Bryce Young in any way, but Phillips was in a great position.
Even if there was a ball that was somewhat catchable, it would have had to been a perfectly thrown ball for Xavier Legette to come down with that one.
There was another opportunity between both those two players, a third down and five, where Legette runs a slant route, and Phillips is all over it and is able to time up his hands to dislodge the pass to force a incompletion and then also a punt.
There was another play on third down where it's 35 seconds in the game.
The game is tied at 38, and Phillips, is playing off coverage, patiently waits in his backpedal, is able to drive on the football, forcing another incomplete pass.
So those were all over his tape.
Third down stop, play recognition.
There was a pass to the flat to the right to the running back, and Phillips diagnoses it quickly, tries to go low on Miles Sanders, the running back.
He ends up hurdling over Phillips, but that hurdle also caused the running back to lose the football, fumbling it, fumbling it out of bounds, losing two yards on the play.
Everybody saw Xavien Thomas' stop-and-go from the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans, that 97-yard touchdown.
Well, one of the Panthers wide receivers trying to run a very similar route against Phillips.
He was all over it, didn't bite on the stutter, ran with the Panthers wide receiver downfield, taking away a deep shot for Bryce Young.
There was also, like, it's not perfect by any means.
There was a touchdown that he did give up on a slant route where the Panthers are on the Atlanta nine-yard line, run, the wide receiver runs a slant route.
Phillips doesn't move his feet quick enough, isn't quick enough to react to the slant, actually takes one step backwards into the end zone before driving, not having the angle to stop the play.
But overall, I came away encouraged watching the tape.
Now, Phillips hasn't played a lot of football since that game, that week 18 matchup in 2024.
Like I told you, he had his, he tore his tricep, w- played one game in 2025.
So the Bears, I think, are banking on that player that they saw, the positive reps that were in there, somebody that was a 2023 fourth-round draft pick, who I think fits the style that Dennis Allen wants to play, this man coverage, where I think that's where his ability is at.
Smaller corner, though, but I'm curious to see how he gets integrated into this defense, how the Bears plan to use him, and if they can get the most out of him, because I think he could be a nice addition to the secondary, at least depth, which the Bears can definitely use after all the injuries and players that are now being cut, on this Bears team as they get closer to making that 53-man roster.
