Any list of the NFL’s best cornerbacks must include Patrick Surtain II, Marlon Humphrey and Trent McDuffie.
Is Giants rookie Dru Phillips going to secure a place in that long-term conversation?
Phillips is keeping esteemed company as the No. 6-ranked cornerback in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus’ play-by-play grading system.
The list includes the right names — the Broncos’ Surtain, Ravens’ Humphrey and Chiefs’ McDuffie at Nos. 1, 3 and 5, respectively — alongside a couple of rookies in Phillips and the Eagles’ Cooper DeJean and Bills breakout third-year pro Christian Benford.
“Coming in, you hear about the NFL guys, and I give everyone the benefit of the doubt,” Phillips told The Post. “But I go out there and I’m like, ‘Oh s–t, I’m pretty damn good, too.’ I’ve been out there going against the best, and I can hang.”
Phillips, who has lined up in the slot on 425 of 511 defensive snaps, doesn’t have a PFF subscription but laughed in agreement at the suggestion that he might have to embrace the polarizing analytics website the way they support him.
“It’s good to be recognized in some sort of way,” Phillips said. “It’s a cool accomplishment. Good for confidence, I guess.”
Until last week’s loss to the Falcons, Phillips was ranked No. 2 — sandwiched between Defensive Player of the Year candidate Surtain and two-time Super Bowl champion McDuffie, both of whom were first-team All-Pros during their second seasons.
“That’s a crazy thought,” Phillips laughed. “After the season, I might sit back and be like, ‘I did pretty good.’ During the season, it’s just work, work, work to get to that point.”
There’s no denying Phillips exceeded expectations for a third-round pick — a wasteland for Giants’ drafts over the last two decades — who has been stout in run support and allowed 30 catches for 274 yards and one touchdown in 14 games, per NextGenStats.
His man-to-man coverage has been especially sticky.
“He’s a physical player. I think he’s shown that,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “Where he plays in particular, he’s part of a lot of run fits. He’s an aggressive tackler and continues to improve. He definitely has a lot of upside.”
But where’s the Kentucky product’s signature play?
Was it the way that he squared up the Vikings’ C.J. Ham and forced a fumble on the first defensive series of his career?
Or his sack of the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels when he looked like he was shot out of a cannon in the scramble drill?
Or was it punching out the ball on a screen pass to the Panthers’ Chuba Hubbard for his second forced fumble?
The Giants (2-13) lost all three games, of course.
So, maybe it’s still to come in Year 2.
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“I feel like I’m so new and I’ve done some good stuff this year,” Phillips said. “But I could’ve made so many more plays. That’s the exciting thing about football and right now in my career: I can get so much better.”
The next box to check is getting the ball more often.
“There’s been times this year that I have, but on a more consistent basis, so people are just like, ‘When a play needs to be made, you can count on Dru to go make it,’” Phillips said. “That’s kind of where I’m headed with the experience of seeing more things. I trust it will come. That’s definitely the next step.”
The Giants had hoped to draft a cornerback in the second round until four straight were picked just before their turn, so they pivoted to safety Tyler Nubin.
There were some nervous third-round moments waiting to see if Phillips would be available.
Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen and defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson identified him as a three-down nickel, and general manager Joe Schoen called him the “last corner that we would be fired up about getting before the developmental guys” during HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
“He’ll be a good young player to continue to develop,” Daboll said. “Create turnovers, knock the ball out, intercept the pass, those are all things that you need to do to be an elite defensive back.”
Phillips will be in the lineup Sunday against the Colts after returning from a two-game absence (shoulder) last week.
Shutting it down wasn’t a consideration, even in a lost season.
“I wanted to finish on a strong note,” Phillips said. “Not just vanish out of here. Leave a good taste.”
