Jacksonville Jaguars find Evan Engram’s replacement in this 3-round 2023 NFL Mock Draft

Jacksonville Jaguars Mock Draft Round 2, 56th overall: Clark Phillips

After taking Darnell Washington in the first round, general manager Trent Baalke checks off another box in the Jags’ to-do list when he takes Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III in the second round.

Heck, you could make the case that cornerback is a bigger need than tight end but Washington is too good to pass up if he’s available at No. 24. Moreover, Phillips is no consolation prize. At 5’10” and 183 pounds, he’s a tad undersized and might struggle when covering big targets. On the other hand, the former Utah Ute got the speed to keep up with receivers and superb recognition skills.

Furthermore, Phillips can line up at nickel and the boundaries, a skill that would be appealing to Jacksonville or any team interested in drafting a cornerback. He made 31 collegiate starts and logged 110 total tackles, nine interceptions, and 29 passes defensed over the course of three seasons.

Cory Giddins of Bleacher Report’s scouting department notes that Williams does a good job of setting the perimeter when playing the run and believes his ball-hawking skill could make him an elite player at the NFL level. On the other hand, he points out that Williams could struggle to play outside given his size. Then again, he would be an early candidate to be the Jags’ nickel cornerback given that Darious Williams is expected to line up opposite Tyson Campbell.

After manning the slot early in the 2022 season, Williams moved outside and is projected to line up outside, ‘his natural spot, next season.