The Sky's the Limit for NY Giants Slot CB Dru Phillips

SCB Dru Phillips showed signs of promise as a rookie, but can he make the right adjustments to become a more elite coverage defender in year two?

New York Giants cornerback Dru Phillips (22) reacts against the Carolina Panthers in the second half during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New York Giants defensive secondary has undergone a significant makeover this offseason as the team seeks to blend more experienced veteran talent with that of the young players in their ranks. One of the members they seem to believe in the most is slot cornerback Dru Phillips.

Phillips, the Giants’ third-round selection out of Kentucky in last year’s draft, arrived in East Rutherford with a shot to compete for one of the most unanswered roles on the entire roster. That would be in the slot corner hole where the Giants left the 2023 season without a true leader in that position. 

Ultimately, the rookie defender won out the competition over his fellow teammates at the time, former Giants Darnay Holmes and Nick McCloud, and became one of the franchise’s highest-graded players in the deep field and positive stories from the 2024 draft class. 

The Giants had thoughts about trying Phillips as an outside cornerback alongside their 2023 first-round pick, Deonte Banks, but ended up backing Cor’Dale Flott in the CB2 spot while leaving Phillips to provide an impact on the interior. 

It was mostly the right decision by the coaches, as Phillips flashed signs of promise as a route disruptor and efficient tackler, two areas that have plagued the Giants secondary in recent seasons. 

Like any other novice player, there are things for Phillips to work on this summer in training camp if he wants to rise to the next level as an elite coverage man for the future.

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Dru Phillips, CB

• Height: 5-11
• Weight: 190 lbs
• Exp: 2 Years
• School: Kentucky
• How Acquired: D3-'24

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2024 in Review

Dec 29, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants cornerback Dru Phillips (22) returns an interception as Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann (79) tackles during the second half at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

In his welcome to the NFL debut, the Giants certainly got more than a fair early return from a Day 2 prospect. Phillips appeared in 14 games last season and logged 335 coverage snaps, which was the third-highest total in the secondary. He earned a 77.0 coverage grade in that workload and kept it mostly clean, with only two penalties drawn against him. 

Along with those stats, Phillips recorded 71 total tackles (46 solo), seven tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, one pass deflection and two forced fumbles. The lack of getting hands on the football was a bit disappointing, given it was one of his specialties with the Wildcats, but his tackles were tied for fifth on the Giants, and his forced fumbles tied for the best on the team. 

As a coverage defender, Phillips did a solid job at limiting yardage after the catch and protecting the most important area of the field in the endzone. 

He held opponents to an average of 9.1 yards per catch for the second-lowest net catch allowed and under 54 yards per game in all but one contest in Week 8 when he allowed 115 yards to opposing receivers against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Still, he struggled a bit in getting in the way of throwing lanes and disrupting the pass. Phillips recorded an 82% opponent completion percentage, which was among the top 15 worst in the league, and for a total of 373 yards and a 96.3 passer rating when he was targeted. 

On the other hand, he was solid when playing as an underneath defender against the run, landing in the top 25 cornerbacks with a 78.1 run defense grade, four missed tackles, and 10 stops at or behind the line of scrimmage. 

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Contract/Cap Info

Dru Phillips is entering the second year of his four-year rookie contract, which is worth $5.999 million, of which $1.180 million is fully guaranteed, being his signing bonus. 

In 2025, he is set to earn a base salary of $1,017,543, which, when partnered with the $295,171 prorated part of his signing bonus and a $50,000 workout bonus, gives him a cap hit of $1.362 million. 

2025 Preview

Short of sustaining an unexpected injury, the road is paved for Dru Phillips to retain his starting role as the Giants nickel cornerback. The team has no true depth behind him, though, so they’ll need to discern who can fill in or cross-train at that spot in the event another face is needed there during the season.

For now, Phillips is the Giants best option and one of their brightest young ballhawks in the secondary. He certainly has more room to grow, particularly as a turnover enforcer, as he was at the college level. However, he showed enough promise to give credence to Joe Schoen's successful draft choice. 

He’ll continue to fit in several ways within the Giants' defensive system, which blends both zone coverages and bringing in underneath defenders against the run. 

Phillips can further gel in the former by disrupting more passes and possibly landing some picks, and can cause some trouble for opposing receivers by roughing up their routes in press coverage.

Phillips is a very reliable asset to the Giants' defense, who just had his rookie faults. Still, with some minor adjustments this offseason, he can elevate his game in his second season and become even more of a fortified piece in the starting lineup.