Mock drafts continue to circulate online as we inch closer to the 2022 NFL Draft, which is scheduled to be held in Las Vegas from April 28-30.
Clemson junior cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. is widely expected to be a first-round pick, and the following mock drafts have him being selected anywhere from inside the top 10 to just inside the top 20 picks.
In his latest mock draft, CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso projects Booth to be taken by the New York Jets with the 8th overall pick.
“The Jets have to get stronger in their secondary, and Booth has the light feet and ball skills to go in the top 10,” Trapasso wrote.
In another mock draft released earlier this week, Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus projected Booth to come off the board three picks later at No. 11 overall to the Minnesota Vikings.
“Booth is one of the top athletes in this class,” Sikkema wrote. “He has the kind of size and ball skills that make it easy to confuse him with a wide receiver at times, and there’s reason to believe his best ball is ahead of him. He’s still learning the discipline and anticipation needed to be a true shutdown corner, but he’s shown flashes of first-round ability.”
Meanwhile, Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports projected Booth to be taken by the Baltimore Ravens with the 18th overall selection.
“The Ravens have been worn thin at corner with Marcus Peters on IR and Jimmy Smith seldom available. So adding help there would be a smart move, even if there are other spots (such as offensive line) that also make sense in Round 1,” Edholm wrote.
“Assuming the Ravens clear some character concerns with Booth, he’d be an excellent fit. Although he has not been a big playmaker in college and has had consistency issues with tackling, Booth plays with a chip on his shoulder and is an excellent man-cover corner — a great fit for a team that blitzes more than pretty much anyone else.”
In 10 games this season (10 starts), Booth has recorded 37 total tackles, including three tackles for loss, to go with four pass breakups and three interceptions.
The Dacula, Ga., native was a first-team All-ACC selection, as he and Mario Goodrich swept first-team honors at cornerback.
Booth entered 2021 credited with 36 tackles (2.5 for loss) five pass breakups, two interceptions, a sack and a fumble recovery (which he returned 21 yards for a touchdown) in 400 defensive snaps over 24 games (four starts).
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