Kentucky ties a program record with two picks in the 2024 NFL draft’s third round
Kentucky football’s first two picks in the 2024 NFL draft went within two selections of each other in the third round Friday.
The New York Giants selected defensive back Andru Phillips at No. 70. Then at No. 72, the Carolina Panthers drafted UK linebacker Trevin Wallace.
With the selections, UK has had at least one player drafted in the first three rounds for the the sixth consecutive year, tying a program record. The only other time Kentucky had at least one pick in the first three rounds in six straight years came from 1975 to 1980.
Kentucky had seven players drafted in the first three rounds from 1975 to 1980. Phillips and Wallace give UK 12 picks in the first three rounds since 2019, joining Jaguars linebacker Josh Allen (2019, first round), Texans cornerback Lonnie Johnson (2019, second round), Bills safety Mike Edwards (2019, third round), free agent wide receiver Lynn Bowden (2020, third round), Commanders linebacker Jamin Davis (2021, first round), Chiefs cornerback Kelvin Joseph (2021, second round), Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (2022, second round), Lions defensive lineman Josh Paschal (2022, second round), Jaguars center Luke Fortner (2022, third round) and Titans quarterback Will Levis (2023, second round).
Few would have predicted Phillips would be the player to extend that streak for much of the 2023 season.
Phillips began to impress late in the 2022 season when he took over responsibilities as the Wildcats’ top nickel back, but he moved to cornerback in 2023, winning one of two open starting jobs at the position.
He was largely overshadowed in 2023 by fellow cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who tied for the SEC lead in interceptions, so it came as a surprise to many when he elected to forgo his final season of eligibility to declare for the NFL draft in December. His 47 tackles, 1 1/2 tackles for loss and five pass breakups hardly foreshadowed an early entry to the draft, but Phillips’ steadily rose up draft ranking lists with strong performances at the Senior Bowl, NFL combine and UK’s pro day.
Phillips was clocked at 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine. His 11-foot, 3-inch broad jump ranked second among all cornerbacks in Indianapolis. His 42-inch vertical jump ranked third at the position.
“There’s a lot of things that are good about Dru,” UK coach Mark Stoops said at the school’s pro day. “No. 1, he’s competitive as heck. He’s got the physical traits that you’re looking for, but he’s very competitive. He’s also very versatile. It’s very hard to play inside, play that nickel/slot position and cover the type of wideouts that you have to cover.
“You also have to do a lot of different techniques. As you’ve heard me talk about through the years, there’s a lot of nuances to that position. So, it takes a bright guy who also has some instincts. Dru has that, and he can also jump outside and hold up at corner at the next level.”
Phillips’ selection continues Kentucky’s recent success sending defensive backs to the NFL.
He is the sixth UK defensive back drafted since 2019. Phillips will hope to follow the example of former UK teammate Carrington Valentine, who started 12 games as a rookie cornerback for the Green Bay Packers last season after being drafted in the sixth round, in making an early impact for the Giants.
“We were in the same room for three years together,” Phillips said of Valentine at the NFL combine. “Definitely seeing that, that was a lot of confidence for me to go out there and do it as well.”
Wallace has long been on the radar for the 2024 draft — he was named to The Athletic’s annual college football freaks list in recognition of his unique athleticism before the 2023 season — but there was some hope from Kentucky he would return for his senior year. Instead, Wallace declared for the draft in December, a decision that was justified with his day-two selection.
Wallace looked like a potential All-SEC candidate early in the season with 24 tackles, five tackles for loss and 3 1/2 sacks through three games, but his production dipped in league play. He suffered an injury in the loss to Georgia that forced him to miss the next game against Missouri. Wallace returned to the field with 11 tackles in the loss to Tennessee.
The 6-foot-1, 237-pound linebacker was clocked at 4.51 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. That number was tied for third-fastest among all linebackers at the event. His 37.5-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-7-inch broad jump ranked second among linebackers at the combine.
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