Inside NY Giants rookie Dru Phillips' quest to prove the true value of a nickel corner

EAST RUTHERFORD - Dru Phillips wants to prove that he is so much more than an afterthought.

The position's name itself has become a misnomer, given the way the game is played nowadays in the NFL.

Nickel - coined for the fifth defensive back on the football field in sub-packages.

Two safeties, two cornerbacks to man either sideline and an extra player from the bench who lines up in the slot.

That extra player has become essential, no longer a spare part.

"I remember, when I was growing up, people thought nickel was almost a bad thing - kind of just throwing a guy in there," Phillips said. "Especially with how the game is going now and how there is so much passing in the league – and also in college. When I went to Kentucky, I always wanted to play nickel the whole time. I didn't really get an opportunity until my junior year. Once I got the opportunity I kind of like – I embodied it. I felt like it’s who I was. That's what I did best, so I went all in on it."

The path to claiming an integral role in the defense of his new team, the Giants, is clear. And the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Phillips has already begun that quest. The Giants jumped in with Phillips going all the way back to late January at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, where he spent a lot of practice time with Giants assistant secondary coach Mike "Pops" Adams, who was serving as special teams coordinator that week.

The Giants paid close attention to what made Phillips special as he competed against all shapes and sizes in practice. The gritty DB from Kentucky put all his tools on display.

Change of direction. Footwork. Hips. Closing speed. Football IQ.

Blend all of those qualities and you have the skill set to not only survive inside, but thrive against some of the league's most dangerous receivers. Phillips has that in his game, and with so much area to cover in the slot, everything needs to mesh together for that player to succeed in the spot where offensive minds across the league look to gain the greatest of mismatches.

"So much going on at that nickel," said Phillips, the 70th overall pick and the Giants' third-round selection last month. "I like being in control a lot of times. You get to communicate more. You're involved in the run game as well as the pass game. A lot of times on certain down distances, you know that ball is coming to you."

And that takes a different level of competitor to embrace that challenge.

Phillips has not had to search for motivation in his career. He's always been able to keep that chip on his shoulder.

As a freshman at Mauldin HIgh School, Phillips embraced what he considered a bit of disrespect for his talent. He purchased a dry-erase board and hung it on the wall in his bedroom with a pointed purpose. On it, Phillips wrote a giant zero to represent the number of college scholarships he had received to that point.

Before he went to bed at night, every morning when he awakened, Phillips stared at the '0' and went to work. He competed on the practice fields and game day, then attended several prospect camps before finally receiving a scholarship offer that turned the zero to a '1'.

The scholarship tally continued to rise, reaching more than 15 over the next year, yet when it was time to make a decision, Phillips remembered who believed in him first - that initial offer was from the Kentucky Wildcats, and ultimately, that's where he signed.

In 38 games over three seasons at Kentucky, where he crossed paths with Giants receiver Wan'Dale Robinson three years ago, Phillips played on the boundary, at safety and in the nickel. He plays with a competitive edge and finished his final season at Kentucky with 82 total tackles, three tackles for loss, and 10 passes defended.

Phillips continued to impress at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash and his 42-inch vertical tied for second best at the event regardless of position.

"Might be my favorite player in this class," The Athletic's draft analyst Dane Brugler said of Phillips, 22. "He's always in position. He stays in phase. He competes. I'm much higher on him than I think most people are, and he's gonna be a really solid pro."

Dru does not shy away from his family's athletic success. In fact, the achievements of his parents, Carlos and LaTonya, are a tremendous source of motivation, too.

Carlos was a defensive tackle and linebacker at Kentucky. LaTonya ran hurdles and relays, emerging as a star in high school within a program that won three team state championships. His older brother, C.J., played football at Morehead State.

"Always was competitive for me in the household. Always competing for something - if that was more food," Phillips said with a smile. "Everyone else in my family is kind of bigger, that's why I say that (laughs). But it taught me how to compete and get to this level."

Asked who the best athlete in the Phillips family was, without hesitation, Dru quipped: "Oh, me."

Phillips brings a physicality to the field as well. He's not afraid to mix it up in the box, something that new Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen wants in his corners. Typically, the most high profile corners in the league prefer to earn their reputation in coverage. Phillips has confidence he can do both, and so do the Giants, who believe he can play the boundary if needed. His game is not limited to one spot or the other.

For now, Phillips has his sights set on winning the Giants' starting nickel job. He projects similarly to former Auburn corner Roger McCreary, the former second-round pick who played well in Bowen's defense with the Titans in Tennessee last season.

"I never shied away from [physicality and competition] my whole life," Phillips said, adding: "Just comes from who I am as a person. I don't want to shy away from anything and that's from anybody or any circumstance."

The Giants will be counting on that.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Dru Phillips: NY Giants rookie out to prove true value of a nickel CB