3. Dru Phillips replacing Darnay Holmes
The Giants' third-round pick, Dru Phillips, is a player who could potentially make a significant impact on the team's defense this season. When he was first drafted, a lot of people thought he'd push for the CB2 job on the opposite side of the field from star CB Deonte Banks. However, Schoen and Brian Daboll have a different plan for him.
The plan is for Phillips to begin the season on the inside, but if needed, he could be pushed to the outside. At slot CB, Phillips very well could end up winning the starting job. The Giants did re-sign Darnay Holmes this offseason, but he's not expected to start and he should make his biggest difference on special teams.
#NYGiants used Nick McCloud inside as fifth DB at times today. Rookie Dru Phillips also played nickel, so McCloud in there for certain packages.
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) May 23, 2024
Dane Belton and Jason Pinnock were the 1st team safeties and rookie Tyler Nubin worked with second team.
Belton made a great CF play…
At Kentucky, Phillips played in 38 games with 16 starts across three seasons and finished his collegiate career with 82 total tackles, 10 pass breakups and three tackles for loss. Phillips had dominant sophomore and junior campaigns the last two seasons, which boosted his stock significantly in the draft. His offseason work also turned heads.