Antonio Phillips NFL Draft Overview
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6’-0”
Weight: 191 pounds
School: Ball State
Antonio Phillips 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Phillips showcased a well-rounded skillset in college that makes him a draftable cornerback as a developmental project. He has decent size for the position to compete on the outside and the ball skills are intriguing. Phillips recorded eight career interceptions over his college career at Ball State. However, there are a lot of questions surrounding his technique and overall athleticism that will likely limit his draft stock to a day three selection.
A Missouri native from Saint Louis, Phillips has football in the family. His father played football at Illinois and his cousin, edge rusher Markus Golden, was selected in the second round by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2015 NFL Draft. A two-star recruit out of Kirkwood High School, Phillips committed to Ball State in 2017 and started three games of 10 played as a true freshman.
Phillips only started seven of ten games played as a sophomore but still managed to lead the team in pass breakups (7) and tie the team lead for interceptions (2). He enjoyed a true breakout campaign in 2019. The cornerback earned first-team All-Conference honors during a season in which he made 43 total tackles and four interceptions in ten games for the Cardinals. He was named second-team All-MAC in 2020 with two more interceptions in eight games played.
Strengths
- Plays with fantastic body control – Showed good balance that allows him to make plays on the ball down the sideline;
- Decent size for the position with good wingspan;
- Three years of solid production – good ball skills;
- Showed a good feel for zone coverage – Has decent play recognition;
- Can play with physicality in man coverage – A feisty competitor.
Weaknesses
- Plays faster than he’ll test – Doesn’t have makeup speed or elite short-area quickness to change direction;
- Inconsistent in games – Can be physical but too often happy sitting off and gives up easy yards;
- Tries to bait quarterbacks – susceptible to being manipulated by veteran quarterbacks;
- Got away with some bad technique against lesser competition;
- Missed several games with injuries most seasons;
NFL Comparison: Bashaud Breeland
The Washington Football Team selected Breeland in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The cornerback boasts Super Bowl interception to his name for the Kansas City Chiefs from the Chiefs win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. Breeland is a little better athlete than Phillips but both offer scheme versatility and solid tackling. Breeland put up some inconsistent tape in college but the ball skills have come through in the NFL. The seven-year veteran now has 14 career interceptions to his name.
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys
Projection: Sixth Round Pick
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Bottom Line on Antonio Phillips
The Ball State Cardinal has to prove he can play with consistent technique to get on the field in the NFL. Some of the lackadaisical techniques he got away with in college will see him get picked on by NFL quarterbacks. Phillips has the ball skills to make things happen on defense but he can’t afford to take liberties in coverage against the bigger, faster, stronger receivers he will face on Sundays. He doesn’t have the makeup speed to consistently get back in the play if he gets beat early in the route.
However, Phillips has an NFL frame and above-average wingspan that will benefit him on the outside. While he won’t test well in athletic drills, he has excellent body control, smooth enough hips, and is able to get his head around to track the football better than a lot of cornerback prospects in this draft class. His production in college is the best example of his high football IQ which makes scouts wonder why his standards for good technique on a snap-to-snap basis seem to drop within games.
Overall, Phillips is a very draftable cornerback. He probably deserved an invite to the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl where scouts could have watched him battle fellow prospects in this year’s class. Phillips also showed an ability to compete in zone and man coverage. With his skill set Phillips could still develop into a solid NFL cornerback.
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