How the NY Giants Can Help SCB Dru Phillips Get to the Next Level?

Can the New York Giants help Dru Phillips breakout after a strong rookie year?

New York Giants cornerback Dru Phillips | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New York Giants struck gold with their third-round selection of the 2024 NFL Draft: Kentucky cornerback Dru Phillips.

Phillips was drafted as someone who played primarily outside cornerback at Kentucky, but would be moved into the nickel full-time at the next level.

It wasn’t a surprise that Phillips was able to make the full-time transition to the nickel when watching his college film.

The athleticism was there to play inside or out, but his size on the outside wasn’t ideal for the NFL.

The technical ability and mental ability were there for Phillips to move into the nickel, which I feel is the second-hardest position in football.

The expectation is that Phillips will be back in the starting lineup at the nickel and should be able to take the next step developmentally.

East Rutherford , NJ — May 10, 2024 -- Cornerback and third round draft pick Dru Phillips as the NY Giants hold their Rookie Camp and introduce their new draft picks. | Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Circumstance

Phillips making the move to the nickel full-time was never going to be easy, but he’s handled it better than most do.

Every year, college outside cornerbacks move into the nickel, and more often than not, the transition is difficult because not only is there a different level of physicality in the nickel than the outside, but there’s also another level of mental warfare.

Nickel defenders need to be able to cover in-breaking and out-breaking routes, vertical and underneath routes, but they need to be able to contribute as run defenders and blitzers as well.

One reason the transition was easier for Phillips is that Kentucky’s defensive system prepared him to handle the physical workload.

Phillips was used like someone who was still learning the position - relied upon for coverage and run defending ability, but relatively non-existent as a pass-rusher throughout the season.

Phillips is one of the few players in this series who isn’t suggesting he wasn’t properly used in 2024 for the Giants.

Phillips was utilized effectively for someone transitioning to the nickel, but there are additional steps for his development.

Now that he’s entering year two, Phillips should be given more responsibilities to make even more of an impact in 2025.

Unlocking Phillips's Best

The biggest schematic step for Phillips to take is to be more consistent in his involvement in the pass-rush plan.

Modern football includes nickel defenders as a designed part of the pass-rush plan now.

Across the league, defenders like Mike Hilton, Devon Witherspoon, and Kyler Gordon have played primarily as nickel defenders and impacted the game as pass-rushers.

The plan here isn’t to shift back to the Wink Martindale days, where everyone is blitzing at all times, but adding one more tool to the pass-rush plan will help unlock Phillips and the potential of this Giants defense.

Former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has found a lot of success using nickel defenders, and Phillips has the physical makeup to be used in the same way.

When opposing offenses run condensed sets, nickel defenders are already closer to the quarterback than usual while also being next to edge rushers.

Blitzing a nickel in that case means that the offensive tackle will likely take on the edge rusher, and if a tight end or running back isn’t in pass protection, the nickel has a free run at the quarterback.

Phillips has chess piece potential if he’s embraced a bit more in the defensive scheme, which should happen in his second season in the system and at the position.

What happens next with the NY Giants? Find out! Follow and like us on Facebook. Visit our YouTube channel for the latest videos. Want to send a question in for our mailbag? You can do so here.