I've been catching up on CBs lately. Darius Philips might be the closest thing to Malcolm Butler that I've seen so far this year. They're virtually identical in size and athleticism, and they both have the same tendency to take the ball away. If we lose Butler this upcoming offseason (which would make me sad), then Philips is my vote for a replacement. He's sticky in coverage, and has the physicality to play outside as well as the agility to play inside. He's been incredibly productive, and his game against Michigan State earlier this year is the one of the most impressive efforts I've ever seen in a losing game:
"09/13/17 - WEEK 2 STOCK REPORT: Darius Phillips, CB, Western Michigan, rSR. (5-10, 191, 4.52, #4)...A schedule that leads off with road games against USC and Michigan State is a tough road, especially for a MAC program like Western Michigan. After hanging tough with the Trojans in the opener, the Broncos traveled to East Lansing this past weekend where they were shutout on offense, but -- thanks to Phillips -- WMU finished with 14 points. Early in the third quarter, Phillips helped string out a run towards the sideline and mid-tackle, ripped the ball out and returned it 67 yards for the first points of the game for the Broncos.
Then in the fourth quarter, Phillips fielded a kickoff in his end zone and returned it the length of the field for the touchdown, his second 100-yard kickoff return in as many weeks. If that wasn't enough, he also added an interception and three pass break-ups on defense. A proven playmaker with the ball in his hands, Phillips has 13 career touchdowns: five kickoff returns, four interception returns, one fumble return, one punt return and two receiving scores when he played receiver as a freshman. Although he doesn't have desired NFL size for the position, Phillips' speed, ball instincts and return skills will fuel his draft grade. - Dane Brugler, NFLDraftScout.com"