Andru Phillips goes from  to Big Blue, selected by NY Giants in third round of NFL Draft

Andru Phillips heard his name called on Friday at the 2024 NFL Draft, becoming the first Kentucky player off the board.

Kentucky is on the board at the NFL Draft as defensive back Andru Phillips was the first Wildcat to hear his name called when the New York Giants took him with the 70th overall pick in the 3rd round.

Phillips played in 12 games last season, totaling 47 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and five pass deflections. He had 31 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and five pass breakups as a sophomore.

He played in 38 games for Kentucky finishing with 82 career tackles, 10 pass breakups and three tackles for loss, making him a consistent and solid performer in a much-improved defense.

What really shot him up draft boards was his performance at the NFL Combine. He ranked in the 99th percentile with his vertical and broad jump. That comes from his high school career, ranking No. 1 in the nation in 2020 in track and field as a triple jumper.

On NFL.com, Phillips has a grade of 6.22 which equates to an ‘eventual average starter’.

“Phillips’ tape features a high number of both completions and drops that should have been completions, but that could change in a different scheme and with additional experience. He’s still green, with just two years of real game experience, and often played too loose in Kentucky’s zone cover schemes,” NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “Phillips lacks the anticipation to contest catches at a high enough rate from zone but does have the athleticism to play more man coverage, with the tools to stay sticky on routes. He’s an ardent run supporter with excellent toughness but needs to finish tackles at a higher rate. Scheme fit might be critical, along with proving he can play from the slot, but his best football could be ahead of him.”

Phillips was the No. 8 player in South Carolina when he committed to Kentucky.