the height was probably the bigger factor. Outside corners spend their day covering 6’3 guys who run 4.4’s. I don’t think Johnson was any faster than Phillips but he was taller, had a bigger wingspan and had been a shutdown corner. Teams continually threw at Phillips in high leverage situations, usually to their detriment, but he didn’t earn the same respect as Johnson in college. And when the margins are so small at the elite level, a couple of inches of height or reach, and a 1/4 step in speed can make all the difference.
Phillips will probably play inside which isn’t as valued by NFL teams. But if he takes the Steve Smith approach and uses the perceived slight as motivation he can prove everyone who doubted him wrong. I still love the story of Smith keeping a negative draft review in his locker and he would read it right before going on the field so that he never got complacent.
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