Despite falling to the second round in the 2022 NFL Draft, former Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. still has the potential to be a day-one starter in the NFL.
Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings at No. 42, Booth was a standout at Clemson and ultimately fell because of injury concerns. According to Booth, he hasn’t played healthy football since high school, but he is still confident in his abilities.
“I’m more healthy than the guy who is on tape. Ten times better than the cat on tape,” he said.
Here’s why CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso believes Booth is the most likely Minnesota rookie that could earn a key role.
Booth was a first-round talent all day. The vaunted injury red flag precipitated his plummet to the second round. What I kept going back to with Booth during the pre-draft process was this — he has the feet and suddenness of a slot corner and the disruptive length and acrobatic ball skills of a tall outside corner.
Learning from Patrick Peterson will do wonders for any rough edges of Booth’s game. He’s going to be a stud, quickly, in Minnesota.
Although he has an injury history, Booth joins the Vikings’ cornerback room, which has limited experience and, outside of Peterson, not many proven players. If healthy, it would be surprising to see Booth not starting opposite of Peterson within the first half of the season.
With the Tigers in 2021, Booth had 37 total tackles, three interceptions and five passes defended in 11 games. He was also a First-Team All-ACC selection, and if he can replicate his collegiate success on the NFL stage, he should have no problem making an immediate impact with the Vikings.
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