Andru Phillips opens eyes of NFL Scouts

A year ago most folks who followed Kentucky football closely believed we were only seeing the beginning of No. 14 at cornerback for the Cats. Instead, Carrington Valentine was an early entry to the NFL Draft. He made a splash throughout the process and was ultimately selected by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round. Valentine has appeared in every game and started in two as a rookie. Another Kentucky cornerback could be on a similar path.

Max Hairston grabbed headlines by creating five turnovers in the first six games of the season, but it was the other first-year starting cornerback that caught the eye of Senior Bowl officials last Saturday at Sanford Stadium. Even though he only tallied two tackles in the loss, Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy explained how Phillips showed off the tools NFL teams love to see.

“Phillips was the one Kentucky prospect that our Senior Bowl scout left the game (against Georgia) with mostly positive notes on,” Nagy tells On3. “Has the combination of length and movement skills that all NFL teams are looking for. Plays bigger than his measurables. Aligns outside in base defense but will bump inside to nickel in sub packages. Looks comfortable playing with a cushion in off-man coverage. Has good feel for routes and timing to close and finish. Made an impressive PBU against a dig route that Georgia QB Carson Beck put on the money. Smooth and efficient transition footwork and good burst to close.

“We don’t question his toughness or physicality but he’s shown up more in run support and as a tackler on tape than he did last Saturday in Athens. You don’t see Phillips’ name in a lot of draft media position rankings but we think that will change once we get into the pre-draft process.”

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Although playing time was limited early in his career, last fall Andru Phillips emerged as a key contributor by primarily playing slot corner. He made 31 tackles, 1.5 for loss and five PBUs last fall, the second-most on the team. Tasked to make the move to outside cornerback, he’s been a steady presence throughout the season with a pair of pass deflections.

A week after allowing more than 400 passing yards against the Dawgs, Phillips and the rest of the Kentucky secondary face a tall task Saturday against Missouri’s Brady Cook and Luther Burden, the second-year pass-catcher that leads the nation in receiving yards.

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