Anthony Rivardo
Dru Phillips arrived as the best defensive rookie of the Giants’ 2024 class, a third-round slot corner out of Kentucky who graded as one of the seven-best cornerbacks in the entire NFL by season’s end, second among rookies only to Philadelphia’s Cooper DeJean. The Giants thought they had found a long-term answer in the nickel. But after an up-and-down second season, maybe now they aren’t so sure.
From Secret Superstar to League Average
Phillips slipped to a 63.0 overall PFF defensive grade in 2025, 56th among 114 qualified cornerbacks, and the Giants have since spent money in the secondary in a way that could give him competition for his starting job.
Phillips’ 2025 coverage numbers tell a more sobering story than his rookie tape did. He allowed a 95.4 passer rating when targeted, surrendered 56 receptions, and finished with a 65.4 PFF coverage grade that ranked 48th of 114 corners per PFF. From the slot specifically, he gave up 41 catches for 373 yards and a touchdown on 335 coverage snaps, a 23rd-ranked slot passer rating allowed that lands him squarely in the middle of the pack.
A player who graded as a top-seven corner as a rookie and a roughly league-average one in year two has not collapsed, but the slide gives the staff a reason to keep his competition close. Two interceptions and eight pass breakups kept the splash plays on tape; the week-to-week consistency that defined his rookie year did not.
The Front Office Added Competition
Joe Schoen spent on the position this spring. Greg Newsome II signed a one-year, $8 million prove-it deal with $3 million guaranteed, and Ar’Darius Washington came aboard on a one-year, $3 million contract to add range to the back end. Newsome is competing for the Giants’ second boundary cornerback job, but his experience playing nickel cornerback as well is notable. And while Washington is primarily viewed as a safety, he too has experience playing and starting games as a nickel cornerback.
Newsome is a low-risk swing at a former first-rounder with slot and perimeter versatility, exactly the kind of player who can push Phillips inside or off the field.
The catch is that the spending does not automatically beat him out. Newsome posted a 56.8 PFF coverage grade in 2025, 81st among 114 corners per PFF, a worse mark than Phillips on a contract more than four times as expensive. On a roster Schoen has built around cheap, ascending talent, Phillips remains the bargain.
| Cornerback | 2025 PFF coverage grade | Rank among 114 CBs | 2026 cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andru Phillips | 65.4 | 48th | $1.6M |
| Greg Newsome II | 56.8 | 81st | $8M |
Why the Slot Still Belongs to Him
Phillips carries a $1.6 million cap hit in 2026 on the four-year, $5.99 million rookie deal he signed as the 70th overall pick, per Spotrac. That price, paired with coverage tape that still grades ahead of the veteran brought in to challenge him, is why he opens camp as the favorite inside. PFF tabbed him among the team’s most underrated players heading into last season, and the traits that earned that label have not vanished.
The rookie-year version dictated terms in the slot; the year-two version invited targets and gave up too many of them. With Newsome’s versatility and Washington’s range deepening the room behind him, Phillips no longer has the job by default. What changed is the margin.
The Bet on a Bounce-Back
The Giants are wagering that 2025 was the dip, not the trend, and the contract math makes that a wager worth keeping. Reclaim the rookie-year consistency, and Phillips is one of the best value starters on the defense. Repeat the middling year two, and a secondary suddenly stocked with options will make the decision for him. The slot is still his to lose, but for the first time it is genuinely his to lose.
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