Each year I do a deep dive on mid-late round prospects and find some “my guys”, players I do not expect to go within the first three rounds, yet think are fully capable of being a solid NFL player, and “steal”, for the team that drafts them. In the first edition of the 2024 “Steal” prospects, I’ll be covering Andru Phillips. a cornerback who spent four years at the University of Kentucky.
Name: Andru Phillips
Position: Cornerback
School: Kentucky
Height: 5110
Weight: 190
Hand: 8 3/4″
Wingspan: 31 1/4″
Introduction: A four year player for the Wildcats, Dru made a great impact as a solid corner during his time in college, despite not logging an interception. He played well in the Senior Bowl 1v1’s (I have a clips of those reps in this post) and against some of the top teams in the ACC such as Clemson and Louisville. It was enjoyable watching his film, he plays with a tenacity that very few have. He is also a scheme versatile player who lined up in the slot and outside, and played well in both man and zone.
Strengths:
• Instinctive feel for when to look for the ball, despite not getting an interception he logged a few pass breakups
• Good eyes in zone coverage, covered his area well
• Not afraid to attack as a downhill defender
• Played with great hips, low and fluid in transitions
• Ability to break on the ball
Areas for development:
• Let tackles get away from him sometimes
• Bigger receivers gave him trouble in press-man and run defending
• Despite the breakups, not logging an interception may have people question his ability to make “ball-hawk” plays
Draft Projection: Rounds 3-4
Outlook: I was thoroughly impressed with Phillips’ film, especially against some of the better competition he faced. In such a talented overall draft class, it’ll be easy for talented players to fall down draft boards, and I think Dru may be a victim of that. I think he’s well worth a 4th rounder and expect him to outplay that cost.
For more coverage on Andru Phillips, along with other “Steal” prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class, be sure to follow NFL Draft Lounge. As always, you can also find us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
