Apr/23/08 03:16 AM Filed in:
Kenny
Phillips
April 22, 2008 -- One
well-connected player agent recently spoke with
three teams heading into this weekend's NFL Draft.
All three compiled a mock draft to get a better
feel for who might go where and all three had the
Giants
with the 31st overall pick taking
Miami safety Kenny Phillips.
Intrigued, the agent fished around a little more, as
these teams might have merely been going with the rote
formula that the Giants lost a safety (Gibril
Wilson
) in free agency and, despite signing
veteran Sammy Knight, need to add another one.
The scent remained strong. "I heard Kenny Phillips is
the guy they're targeting," the agent said.
Could be. It is rare when a team can sit back until the
very last pick of the first round and land the top
player at his position, but that would be the case if
the Giants nab Phillips. In virtually every publication
or ranking, Phillips is listed as the top-rated safety
available in the draft and that he is coming out of
college after his junior year makes him more
attractive.
Adding Phillips certainly makes sense, as he could
learn the ropes for a season and contribute in
sub-packages and special teams as a rookie and in 2009
step in full-time for Knight. Or, he could come to his
first training camp and battle his way past Knight or
James Butler
for a starting job.
There is much to like about Phillips, starting with his
size (6-foot-2, 212), pedigree and his air-tight
resume. What hurts him is that the once-renowned Miami
program sagged around him and that he is not considered
in the same class as former Hurricanes safeties like Ed
Reed, Sean Taylor and Brandon Meriweather. Those three
all won All-American honors, as did Phillips. Late in
the first round or early in the second is the
anticipated spot for Phillips to hear his name called
and that's exactly where the Giants sit.
If the Giants want to wait until the second round to
land a safety, they could have their pick of Tyrell
Johnson of Arkansas State or DaJuan Morgan of North
Carolina State. The Giants brought Johnson in for a
visit and he is an excellent small-school prospect
whose stock soared after he wowed scouts at the
Combine, finishing first among all safeties in the
bench press (225 pounds 27 times) and broad jump, and
ran a more-than-respectable 4.44. He's an in-the-box
safety who often did not face top competition but did
excel when he played against Texas and Tennessee.
Or, the Giants might feel secure that Knight, a 12-year
veteran who turns 33 in September, can handle the job.
"I think I have a lot left," Knight said. "I haven't
missed any games, I haven't had any major injuries, I
led my team in tackles last year, second in
interceptions, I've been really productive. It's not a
matter of me being on my last leg or being banged up."
(newyorkpost.com)