When the Chicago Bears traded Gervon Dexter to the Atlanta Falcons, a key component of the deal wasn't so much in the fifth round pick they acquired but in the addition of defensive back Clark Phillips. While not a name heavy on recognition to the casual fan, Phillips could end up being a key component of the Bears' defensive backfield in 2026.
In trading Dexter, the Bears depleted an area of their roster that could already have been described as thin. Even thinner, though, may have been their collection of personnel in the secondary where Coby Bryant is already set to miss extended time (if not the year) and Kyler Gordon's health remains an entire mystery. Phillips' addition serves to address at least the latter as Gordon remains out.
Phillips
was out most of last year due to a triceps injury, leaving him without enough gametime to qualify for a grade from Pro Football Focus. When we last saw him full-time in 2024, though, he graded out 10th among 117 qualifying corners in his overall grade (76.5) and 11th among that group in his coverage grade (76.0).
Coming from a deep Atlanta secondary in terms of their volume of personnel, Phillips' addition seems like a worthwhile one for a Bears team in need of depth in that phase of the roster. Bears general manager Ryan Poles noted the depth specifically that Phillips brings to the room but also described a fairly well-rounded skill set.
"Definitely going to add depth to our corner room," Poles said. "What we like from the tape that we watched his man cover skills. Short area quickness is really good. Speed is really good. Staking coverage. We're looking forward to getting him onboarded and getting going."
Perhaps even more important, though, is the flexibility that Phillips has the potential to add to the group. When asked about Phillips' position, Poles indicated he could play either inside or outside.
"Obviously he just got here," Poles said. "Most of his tape in Atlanta was outside. In college he was inside. I like what that tape looked like too. I think he's capable of both. Since he's been in the league he's been outside. We'll see where we start him off and go from there."
It would be unreasonable for one to expect Phillips to replace the skill set of a dynamic player like Kyler Gordon in a purely 1-to-1 sense. However, the fact that Phillips has a history of working both on the outside and inside the slot should yield at least some benefit for a Bears team that is lacking that kind of movement in Gordon's absence.
At worst, Phillips' addition stabilizes a phase of the roster that was facing some real questions around its depth. On the other end of the spectrum, however, there's a real intrigue given Phillips' 2024 output and versatile history.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ryan Poles explains what Bears like about new DB Clark Phillips
