Cornerback Andru Phillips had a lot of buzz surrounding him as the off-season progressed. A great week at the Senior Bowl and a solid performace at the NFL Combine moved him up draft boards. On Friday night, he was drafted by the New York Giants with the 70th overall pick.
Phillips is 5’10” and 190 pounds, and started all 12 games in 2023. He recorded 47 tackles and five passes defended last season.
It was his performance after the season that stood out, though. He was one of the top competitors during Senior Bowl week, then showed out at the Combine in Indianapolis with a 42″ vertical leap and a 11’3″ broad jump.
Phillips can play both inside and out, but likely projects best as a nickel cornerback in the NFL. He’ll likely struggle with size, but he plays tough, and he closes quickly when tackling.
The former Wildcat is the first Kentucky football player off the board in this year’s NFL draft. Big Blue Nation will watch to see who’s next.