The Falcons have AJ Terrell entrenched as their top starting cornerback outside the numbers, but the competition for Atlanta’s other starting boundary CB job was one of the club’s key storylines in the spring. That battle will continue into training camp, as Josh Kendall of The Athletic details (subscription required).
One of the two primary combatants is Clark Phillips III, a 2023 fourth-rounder who flashed in his rookie campaign but who also dealt with the growing pains generally expected of a Day 3 rookie. In 11 games (five starts), Phillips yielded a fairly low QB rating of 88.8 and recorded five passes defensed, but Pro Football Focus assigned him a mediocre overall grade of 59.0, making him the 85th-best CB out of 127 qualified players. Kendall observes that Phillips’ struggles are at least partly due to his 5-9 stature, which does work against him in his efforts to earn a boundary gig.
Mike Hughes, meanwhile, is a former first-round pick of the Vikings who has never quite lived up to his draft status. He signed a two-year contract with the Falcons last March, making Atlanta his fourth team since turning pro in 2018. His first year with the club did not go particularly well, and he actually finished 21 spots below Phillips in terms of PFF grades. Most of his action came at the nickel, but with Dee Alford having impressed with his more extensive slot work last season, it seems that Hughes will have to return to a boundary role to maintain significant playing time.
Of course, the Falcons could still make an addition to the CB room, which Kendall does not rule out. He does not say that the team is actively looking to make such a move, though perhaps that will change if neither Hughes nor Phillips get out to a good start in training camp. Stephon Gilmore is one of the players who remains available on the free agent market.
Phillips got plenty of first-team reps during OTAs as Terrell dealt with a hamstring issue. As Amna Subhan of the Falcons’ official website writes, both Phillips and Hughes saw time with the starting defense during mandatory minicamp.
Hughes, now 27, is in a platform season and could position himself nicely for another multi-year deal if he can beat out his younger counterpart and perform well for what could be a playoff-bound club in 2024.