In a deep 2024 NFL Draft defensive back group, where does Kentucky’s Andru Phillips rank with his scouting report? Has Phillips elevated himself into Day 2 range after a strong Senior Bowl and NFL Combine showing?
Let’s take a closer look at his profile.
Andru Phillips Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 5’10 3/4″
- Weight: 190 pounds
- Length: 31 1/4″
- Wingspan: 75″
- Hand: 8 3/4″
- Position: Cornerback
- School: Kentucky
- Current Year: Redshirt Junior
In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers added Kentucky CB Carrington Valentine in the seventh round. He’d end up starting 12 games for Green Bay, amassing nine pass deflections and allowing an opposing passer rating under 85.
Valentine was a Top 75 prospect on my 2023 NFL Draft board but was underrated through the process. Phillips could follow a similar arc in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Phillips’ collegiate production doesn’t jump off the page. He was a three-star recruit in 2020 who didn’t see the field as a consistent defensive contributor until 2022. In 2023, while starting 12 games, he accumulated 47 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and five pass breakups.
Nice rep by Andru Phillips (#23) staying in the receiver's hip pocket and not giving the QB anywhere to put the ball. pic.twitter.com/re7qZkotZP
— Brian Maafi (@Bmaafi) April 23, 2024
The numbers on the field don’t stand out, but through the 2024 offseason and pre-draft cycle, few CB prospects have made larger moves forward than Phillips.
First, Phillips gave evaluators a phenomenal performance to review at the Senior Bowl, locking down highly-regarded pass-catchers like Ladd McConkey and Johnny Wilson. Then, at the NFL Combine, he logged a 42″ vertical and an 11’3″ broad jump — both in the 99th percentile.
Phillips’ offseason ascent is causing many to return to the tape. And in a not-so-surprising development, underneath the middling production, there are exciting bits and pieces to take away from the film that bode well for Phillips’ future as an NFL defender.
Phillips’ Scouting Report
Strengths
- Hyper-explosive athlete who closes gaps with powerful, energetic strides.
- Explosiveness and energized acceleration allow him to undercut crossing concepts.
- Has enough vertical speed to contend in the deep third and stick to hip pockets.
- Possesses elite hinge fluidity, and can turn on a dime to realign his hips and recover.
- Flashes incredible swivel freedom, pinching sharp angles out of side-saddle in zone.
- Has snappy foot speed, corrective twitch, and redirection freedom against releases.
- Twitched-up short-area mover who plays low in his stance and mirrors with feet first.
- Chippy competitor who boasts quick reaction to stimulus in man coverage.
- Able to kick-slide and manage depth on his pedal in off-man, then snap into phase.
- Shows off good blind spot awareness and throttle control in side-saddle.
- Has shown he can get his head around and play the ball when trailing vertically.
- Shows glimpses of high-level ball-tracking ability and coordination as a playmaker.
- Instinctive, aggressive support defender who has great angle IQ and physicality.
- Triggers quickly on screens and barrels into ball carriers as a tackler, wrapping well.
- Has the versatility to play the slot or the boundary at a high level.
Weaknesses
- Is around average size for a CB overall, with middling length and mass.
- Vertical speed, while solid, is visibly non-elite, as superlative speed WRs can stack.
- Can be outmuscled by larger WRs at stems and on vertical tracks, losing balance.
- Shorter strides can limit initial range in recovery when tracking WRs vertically.
- At times, can be a bit quicker to recognize and react to QB intent in zone.
- Can be baited into opening his hips vertically by diamond releases, delaying response.
- At times can be more disciplined with his positioning in press, drifting too far upfield.
- On occasion, idles his feet too much when jamming, rendering himself flat-footed.
- Sometimes grabs at WRs at the catch point, playing the frame instead of the ball.
- Despite high-end flashes, can find and impact the ball more precisely at the catch point.
- Lighter frame can impact his ability to get off blocks on the boundary at times.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Phillips grades out as a fringe Top-100 prospect, who could feasibly earn consideration in the mid-to-late Day 2 range as a scheme and position-diverse defensive back. Were he to slip to Day 3, he’d be an excellent value deal.
Phillips is a very unique prospect, in that he has flexibility across a multitude of roles and a multitude of coverage variations. He has the physicality, discipline, and quickness to play press-man, but he also has the technical variance to play off-man and zone. Going further, he can play in the slot or on the boundary.
At around 5’11”, 190 pounds, with average length, Phillips may be better suited for a predominantly slot role at the NFL level. But nothing is forcing a move inside, and he could feasibly be a mix-and-match piece for a team at CB.
Ultimately, Phillips’ physical foundation sets a high floor for him. At his size, he’s an elite athlete with bristling explosiveness, swift hip fluidity, and energetic twitch and foot speed, and he’s also a sharp processor with good reaction speed, zone awareness, and recovery freedom.
KEEP READING: Top CBs in the 2024 NFL Draft
Particularly in press-man, Phillips’ technique can still improve, as can his ball tracking and use of physicality in catch-point scenarios. Going further, his lack of high-end mass and length can work to his detriment against larger WRs.
Nevertheless, Phillips brings plenty to like overall. With a bit more refinement on the operational side, he can be a quality starter, with ideal coverage versatility, proactivity in run support, and the role flexibility to play outside or in the slot.
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