Card Collector, New York Giants Rookie Dru Phillips, A Rising Star for the G-Men

Andru (Dru) Phillips, a third-round pick from Kentucky, is having a stellar rookie campaign. He heads into a Week 8 Monday Night Football matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who rank 28th in passing yards per game.

Sep 15, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; New York Giants cornerback Dru Phillips (22) reacts after a play during the first quarter against the Washington Commanders at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

New York Giants rookie cornerback Dru Phillips was a familiar player in the 2024 NFL Draft. As the 70th overall pick, the redshirt junior out of Kentucky was considered the best third-round pick by Pro Football Focus.

Phillips has lived up to the hype, leading the league in yards given up per reception at 4.2 and surrendering just two first downs in 11 pass attempts in his coverage area.

Dru Phillips is having an All Pro caliber season #Giants100 pic.twitter.com/8MNuvX7Rdl

— Zain (@ThisIsNotZain) October 23, 2024

While the Steelers statistically don't present a potent passing threat, they present a strong rushing attack that ranks 8th in yards per game. But Phillips has shown strength in run and pass support, tallying 29 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.

Phillips is the highest-rated rookie cornerback according to Pro Football Focus. What kind of cards does he have out there? He has had two releases as a pro, from 2024 Panini Score and 2024 Panini Prestige. Here are a few cards to consider:

1. 2024 Panini Score

2024 Panini Score Gold Parallel #/50 / Photo Courtesy of Trading Card Market

Score offers plenty of base cards and parallels of the image above. There are different ways to collect Phillips' rookie cards. A base card can be bought for less than $2. You can also go for limited cards, which are still relatively inexpensive. Two autographed Gold Parallels numbered /50 recently sold on eBay for about $25 and $10 with shipping. Not bad for a card of a player in strong contention for a Pro Bowl nod in his rookie season.

2. 2024 Panini Prestige

2024 Panini Prestige Dru Phillips SP Galaxy Xtra Points / Photo Courtesy of eBay

Phillips was just one of 10 players with rookie short prints in this 400-card release. Short-print is a relative term, as all the short-print variations total more than 1,000 cards. However, there is still a much lower population of his cards from this set. The market bears this out, as very few of Phillips' Prestige cards are for sale.

👀 On a list of the NFL's best defenders at preventing separation in Week 7, CB Dru Phillips came in at #1, per @PFF_Giants 🔒 @druphillips_ pic.twitter.com/n87PrqB85O

— Fireside Giants (@FiresideGiants) October 23, 2024

Defensive players don't get much love among collectors - especially cornerbacks. But there are times when certain rookies stand out and are worth collecting for the price. Phillips is a rising star who faces another challenge tonight against the Pittsburgh Steelers on a national stage.