Dru Phillips went from one of the Giants’ biggest defensive finds as a rookie to a player suddenly staring at real competition in year three.
That’s the story after a second season that looked a lot less like a breakout and a lot more like a reset. Phillips, the third-round slot corner out of Kentucky, was the best defensive rookie in New York’s 2024 class and finished his first year graded as one of the seven best cornerbacks in the NFL, trailing only Philadelphia’s Cooper DeJean among rookies.
The Giants had reason to believe they had locked down the nickel spot for the long haul. Now, after 2025, that certainty is gone.
His second-year numbers tell the tale. Phillips finished with a 63.0 overall PFF defensive grade, 56th among 114 qualified cornerbacks.
In coverage, he landed at 65.4, which ranked 48th out of 114. Opponents targeted him 56 times and produced a 95.4 passer rating, while he allowed 41 catches for 373 yards and a touchdown from the slot on 335 coverage snaps.
That slot work also came with a 23rd-ranked passer rating allowed, which is respectable, but not the sort of number that screams untouchable starter.
The splash plays were still there. Phillips came away with two interceptions and eight pass breakups.
What disappeared was the week-to-week steadiness that made his rookie tape pop. He didn’t fall off a cliff, but he did slide into the broad middle of the pack - and that alone opened the door.
The Giants have acted accordingly. Joe Schoen added two names to the secondary this spring: Greg Newsome II on a one-year, $8 million prove-it deal with $3 million guaranteed, and Ar’Darius Washington on a one-year, $3 million contract.
Newsome is in the mix for the second boundary corner job, but his ability to play nickel as well gives him a path to Phillips’ spot. Washington is mostly viewed as a safety, yet he has also played and started at nickel cornerback, giving the Giants another option inside.
Newsome, in particular, is the kind of move that changes a room. He’s a former first-round pick with slot and perimeter versatility, and the Giants can look at him as a low-risk challenge to Phillips.
But the money doesn’t automatically make the answer obvious. Newsome posted a 56.8 PFF coverage grade in 2025, 81st among 114 cornerbacks, which was worse than Phillips despite the much larger price tag.
That matters for a Giants team built around cheap, ascending talent. Phillips is still on his rookie deal, a four-year, $5.99 million contract as the 70th overall pick, and his 2026 cap hit is just $1.6 million, per Spotrac. That kind of value keeps him in the driver’s seat for now.
The rookie version of Phillips controlled the slot. The 2025 version gave up too many easy completions and made the Giants think harder about what comes next. With Newsome and Washington in the picture, the job is no longer handed to him on reputation alone.
For the Giants, the bet is simple: 2025 was the dip, not the new normal. If Phillips gets back to the consistency he showed as a rookie, he can still be one of the best bargains on the defense.
If he stays stuck in the middle, the Giants now have enough options to make the call for him. For the first time, the slot is his to lose.
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