Giants Sign Third-round Draft Pick Andru Phillips
Three down and three to go for the New York Giants, who signed cornerback Andru Phillips, their third-round draft pick (No. 70 overall), to his rookie deal.
Phillips, 5-11 and 190 pounds, played four seasons of collegiate football for the Kentucky Wildcats, both as a slot cornerback and on the perimeter.
He recorded 82 tackles, including three tackles for loss, in 29 games played. He did not post an interception but had ten pass breakups.
Last season, Phillips was targeted 57 times out of 422 coverage snaps. He allowed 38 completions (66.7 percent) for 434 yards and three touchdowns.
Phillips will begin his NFL career with the Giants by playing in the slot, where he played 223 snaps last season for the Wildcats, a position he's only too happy to play at this level.
"When I went to Kentucky, I always wanted to play nickel the whole time," he said at last week's rookie minicamp. "I didn't really get an opportunity until my junior year.
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"Once I got the opportunity, I kind of embodied it. I felt like it was who I was. That's what I did best, so I went all in on it. It carried over here, so I'm playing nickel now."
For Phillips, the appeal of playing the nickel back comes down to the action the position sees.
"(There’s) so much going on at that nickel,' he said. "I like being in control a lot of times. You get to communicate more.
"You're involved in the run game as well as the pass game. A lot of times, on certain down distances, you know that ball is coming to you. I’m trying just to make as many plays as possible."
According to Over the Cap, Phillips' four-year deal is worth $5.995 million, including a $1.180,684 signing bonus. His 2024 cap number is $1.090 million.
PATRICIA TRAINA
Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for over three decades for various media outlets. She is the host of the Locked On Giants podcast and the author of "The Big 50: New York Giants: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants" (Triumph Books, September 2020). View Patricia's full bio.