Giants' Dru Phillips has new outlook after undergoing LASIK eye surgery
Giants cornerback Dru Phillips speaks to the media in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 31, 2025. Credit: Ed Murray
Dru Phillips doesn’t post much on X, but the Giants cornerback issued a brief announcement in May that he underwent LASIK eye surgery and now has 20/20 vision.
Of course, it begs the question: How well could he see on the field last year as a rookie and before that at Kentucky?
“I was kind of blind before. I hated wearing contacts and it was one of those things that made life a lot easier for me in that sense,” Phillips said. “I can see a lot better now and the procedure was easy. It’s like 15 minutes.”
It’s surprising to think about. A cornerback who has trouble seeing is an obvious liability. Phillips had one of the Giants’ five interceptions last season but had zero in four college seasons.
Now he hopes his improved eyesight can help his play as he settles into his nickel responsibilities in Year 2.
“It’s one of those things seeing the ball in the air — that was one of my biggest problems,” he said. “That dates back a long time ago, but, especially this camp, I’m tracking the ball a lot better with the ball in the air. I can go attack more. I can just see the ball so it helps me in here and in outside life, like driving and stuff. It makes it a lot easier.”
The Giants hope so.
He’s settling into playing nickel back, and for a defense that needs to improve, it will help that he can see things much more clearly.
Phillips noted that no other team he met with during the draft process paid attention to his eyesight the way the Giants did. It never came up in college either, and the Giants’ front office was amazed at how poorly he was seeing things.
So he made the decision this spring to fix it.
“That was a talk from before I got drafted here, with the upstairs people,” he said. “It was one of the things where they were like, ‘You can’t see?’ . . . I’m glad that they pointed it out because I probably still wouldn’t have had [the surgery] if no one said anything, but it helped me out on an everyday basis.”
It can only help Phillips have an impact in a secondary that’s been improved by adding Paulson Adebo at cornerback and Jevon Holland at safety. Coach Brian Daboll noted that Phillips has taken strides getting a better handle on his responsibilities from last year to now.
“Just the overall communication in that area in particular. I think he’s got a lot of confidence right now,” Daboll said. “He’s a good football player. He’s got a lot of physical traits that help him play that spot that he plays.”
Phillips said it’s easy raising your game being around Adebo’s and Holland’s knowledge. There were times last season when he wasn’t sure what to do in games or didn’t speak up as a rookie.
That won’t be the case this season. Phillips believes there’s more comfort from experience and finally seeing better on the field. It means he also has a clearer vision for his goals.
“The sky is the limit for me,” he said. “I just keep on stepping and building blocks, but from last year to this year, it’s already been huge steps. I’m taking control of our defense in ways of how to set up and stuff. It’s one of those things where I just keep taking steps each day. I don’t know where I could end up at.”
Giants starters vs. Jets?
The Giants held a walkthrough Thursday instead of a normal practice. Daboll didn’t say which starters will play against the Jets in the second preseason game on Saturday.
He noted last week that after playing the first-team offense for one series and the defense for two, the starters would play again in the preseason. Daboll added the decision won’t be affected by who participated in the joint practices with the Jets.
Time will tell if that includes Malik Nabers, who didn’t practice this week. Daboll didn’t offer specifics on player injuries, in line with his usual custom, but he did offer a brief update on his star receiver: “He’s working hard to get back.”
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
