Bengals strengthen secondary with CB Darius Phillips

The Cincinnati Bengals have selected cornerback Darius Phillips out of Western Michigan with the 170th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

The selection of Phillips is the third member of the secondary taken by the club in the draft after safety Jessie Bates III in the second round and Davontae Harris in the fifth.

As the starters in the secondary age for the Bengals, Phillips could be an important depth piece going forward for the AFC North outfit.

Darius Phillips Bio

Position: CB
School: Western Michigan
College Experience: Senior
Height: 5-10
Weight: 193 lbs

What the analysts are saying

• "Ball-hawking cornerback with athletic ability and short-area quickness to handle man coverage from slot and the instincts to play zone effectively. Phillips will have to move inside due to his lack of size so his issues in run support could be exploited by offensive coordinators." - Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
• "In addition to being a lockdown corner, Phillips has been one of the nation's most dangerous return specialists, taking back a pair of kickoffs ... for 100-yard touchdowns in 2017. His size may limit him to the slot at the next level, but he'll be a quality starter there from Day 1, and his special-teams abilities will allow him to make an immediate impact there as well." - Luke Easterling, Draft Wire

Athletic testing