Can Phillips’ versatility secure a job for him in the NFL?

The 2024 NFL Draft class has a very talented group of cornerbacks, particularly at the top of the draft. There are high-ceiling players with the traits to fit in every defense called at the NFL level.

Down the depth chart, things get more interesting — or at least complicated.

Kentucky’s Andru Phillips, for example, only has modest traits and lacks many of the characteristics the NFL looks for in starting cornerbacks. However, he’s a good player on the field and has the versatility to play a number of roles on the defense.

The New York Giants might look to add another player to their defensive secondary. Could Phillips’ versatility make him a value pick for the Giants?

Prospect: Andru Phillips (23)
Games Watched: vs. Florida (2023), vs. Georgia (2023), vs. Missouri (2023)

Measurables

Strengths

• Awareness
• Instincts
• Tackling
• Physicality
• Zone coverage
• Closing burst

Phillips is a smart, physical, and instinctive defensive back.

He played both outside and in the slot in Kentucky’s secondary, and primarily lined up as an off or zone defender in either alignment. Phillips has very good awareness and discipline in off Coverage and while he shouldn’t be asked to play man converge as a rule, he has adequate athleticism to execute pattern matching rules.

Phillips is an active communicator prior to the snap and does a good job of picking up and passing off receivers passing through his zone of responsibility without freelancing. He also has an explosive lower body, as evidenced by his 42-inch vertical and 11-foot-3 broad jump. That gives him an excellent closing burst and the ability to be very physical at the catch point. That allows him to be disruptive at the catch point, knocking the ball away or jarring it loose with hard hits.

Phillips has a great downhill trigger and is a reliable tackler. He does a good job of wrapping ball carriers up and getting them on the ground with minimum yards after contact. Likewise, he’s unafraid of laying hard hits and flies downhill to the ball.

Weaknesses

• Long speed
• Length
• Man coverage

Phillips is undersized and lacks long speed compared to the NFL’s archetype at cornerback.

He’s short with short arms for an outside corner at 5-foot 10 ¾ inches tall with 31 ¼ inch arms. He has a thick, powerful physique, however he struggles to match up with taller, longer receivers in coverage. Likewise, while he has plenty of physicality, his length limits his ability to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage. He can also struggle to high-point the ball against taller receivers, or play around them if they gain positioning on him.

Phillips also has merely adequate long speed for a cornerback with a 4.48 40.

It’s also notable that Phillips hasn’t generated any interceptions despite the volume of off coverage he plays.

Game Tape

Projection

Phillips projects as a versatile nickel defensive back at the NFL level. He might not have the ability to stay as an outside corner at the next level, but his skill set suggests significant versatility to play the slot, free safety, or as a “DB” who rotates between positions and responsibilities to disguise coverages. Teams that run a high rate of man coverage will almost certainly look elsewhere.

Does he fit the Giants?
Possibly, though they might prioritize an outside cornerback

Final Word: A late Day 2 or early Day 3 value