The path to a starting job in the NFL could take a few twists and turns for Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., thanks to all of the yield signs with Cam Dantzler’s face on them.
If the season started today, Dantzler would clearly be the man playing opposite of legendary cornerback Patrick Peterson. He’s a young, ascending defensive back in his own right with much more experience than the incoming rookie second-round draft pick.
Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell has preached about a chameleon-style defense all offseason. It’s a defense that’ll be wholly dependent on brainpower, experience and versatility as much, if not more, than just straight up athletic ability.
That isn’t to say Booth isn’t doing the homework or he’s incapable of picking up the complex Vic Fangio-style concepts at the next level. Quite the contrary, the former First-Team All-ACC defender made a name for himself at the collegiate level for being one of the more cerebral players in the country.
But he was also unable to participate fully in the spring practices after undergoing a sports hernia surgery back in March. There’s hope that he’ll be ready to hit the ground running by training camp at the end of July, but of course, it’s all dependent on how well his body responds to a full workload.
So Booth is already facing an uphill battle when attempting to compete with Dantzler for the starting job. This isn’t a situation where the cupboard is barren for the Vikings, either.
They trust Dantzler and look to him as one of the young players to help carry the franchise into the future. And there’s a strong possibility Booth is viewed the same way, too.
But his time could come at a later date.
When that day comes, we could be witnessing Dantzler and Booth leading the depth chart with rookie fourth-round pick Akayleb Evans getting in on the action as well.
Not every roadblock is a bad thing, particularly if it paves the way for a brighter future. Such is the case for a Vikings team that could potentially blow everything up if they ultimately fail at the proposed win-now season.