Tag: Andrew Booth Jr.

Phillips talks changes and versatility of Clemson’s defense ahead of Monday’s opener

Georgia native and starting safety, Jayln Phillips, has grown on and off the field this offseason and has set high expectations for himself and the team after coming off its worst season since 2014. Speaking with reporters Wednesday, just days out …

Georgia native and starting safety, Jayln Phillips, has grown on and off the field this offseason and has set high expectations for himself and the team after coming off its worst season since 2014. 

Speaking with reporters Wednesday, just days out from the Tigers’ season opener against Georgia Tech, Phillips recognized the biggest change he has seen in himself this offseason is his confidence. Which he says can be attributed to really understanding the playbook and learning himself and from the players that came before him. 

“Learning from the guys that were here before me, guys like Nolan Turner. You know and really learning the playbook, and as you learn the playbook you gain confidence from that,” Philipps said Wednesday “Just believing in myself has been what really helped me take that stride on the field… learning who I am, my body and just what I can do best.”

Amid all the changes throughout the offseason for Phillips, one of the biggest was losing his best friend on and off the field, Andrew Booth Jr, to the NFL last April. If Phillips can learn anything from Booth heading into the season, it is how to dominate the field and in the secondary.

“He just told me to make it count, make every day count,” Phillips said of Booth, a second-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2022 NFL Draft. “He has definitely been in my ear telling me to do what is best for me and to go out there and dominate, so I can be up there with him one day.”

Even with the loss of a valuable player like Booth, Phillips is confident in the versatility of the defense because of the amount of depth within it.

“The coaching staff does their best to put guys out there that they can trust, so that just tells you that our defense is really deep,” he said. “We can go out there with the 1s or 2s and the standard does not change, so that just tells you that our coaches trust a lot of guys on the defensive side.”

Throughout the offseason, Mike Reed and Mickey Conn focused on making sure each player within the secondary also knew how to play and perform well in multiple positions.

“To learn to play multiple positions was our main key coming into the spring and fall,” Phillips said. “Guys can play nickel, corner, strong or free, so that’s basically the main focus this year is for us to learn both sides”

Looking ahead to Monday night’s game, Phillips is excited to be playing 30 minutes away from his hometown of Lawrenceville, Georgia, and to have his whole family in attendance. He is also looking forward to facing some old buddies but ultimately is focused on the task at hand.

“It’s going to be crazy… I know a couple of guys on their team, so it is definitely going to be fun,” he said. “First game, one of our goals is to win the opener, so it is definitely going to be fun to go out there and compete with the guys”

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‘He’s going to be a problem here pretty soon’: Former Tiger catches eye of longtime NFL star

It didn’t take Andrew Booth Jr. long to make a big impression on the first day of training camp Wednesday. Early in Wednesday’s workout when the Minnesota Vikings opened 11-on-11 with the second-team defense facing off against the first-team …

It didn’t take Andrew Booth Jr. long to make a big impression on the first day of training camp Wednesday.

Early in Wednesday’s workout when the Minnesota Vikings opened 11-on-11 with the second-team defense facing off against the first-team offense, Booth provided one of the highlights of the day, when the former Clemson star cornerback undercut a route run by two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Justin Jefferson and made a sliding interception of a ball thrown by three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Booth’s highlight pick and overall performance during Minnesota’s first practice at training camp caught the eye of another Vikings Pro Bowler and longtime NFL star, Patrick Peterson — an eight-time Pro Bowl selection at cornerback — who was impressed by what he saw from the Vikings’ second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

“He looked pretty good,” Peterson said of Booth, via Pioneer Press. “He moved around really well. It looks like he’s healthy, so we’ll see if he can continue to build on that. I like how instinctive he is. He’s very quick at the line of scrimmage. He’s going to be a problem here pretty soon.”

Now fully healthy again after recovering from sports hernia surgery in March and going through spring drills in a limited capacity, Booth had his first opportunity at Wednesday’s practice to really show what he can do and said it “felt great” to let loose while going against elite competition in a guy like the aforementioned Jefferson.

“Just seeing full-speed offense, different looks, and I’m seeing the best in J.J. every day,” Booth added, via Vikings.com. “So, that’s going to get me ready for game one. So, it felt good.”

A first-team All-ACC selection at Clemson last season, Booth was selected 42nd overall by the Vikings in April’s draft and viewed as a great value pick by many after slipping to the second round.

Booth, who is competing for a starting spot at cornerback opposite of Peterson, began training camp on the second team. He feels the Vikings’ defense fits his skill set “very well” and noted that he has experience playing on a similarly complex defense in the one Brent Venables oversaw when he was Clemson’s defensive coordinator.

“I came from Clemson, and Coach V, Venables, his defense was very complex and this defense is very complex as well,” Booth said. “But more complexity comes more difficulty, different looks that the offense has to go against. So, I love the difficulty that they have to face, and it makes our jobs easier in all the checks that we have and things like that. So, it feels good.”

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Why Vikings fans should be excited about Andrew Booth Jr.

Breaking down what Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. brings to the Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings went into the 2022 NFL draft with a need at cornerback, and they managed to land a first-round talent on Day 2 when they traded up to grab Clemson’s Andrew Booth Jr. with the No. 42 overall pick.

If not for a strained quad muscle that forced him to pull out of drills at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, Booth could have easily been a first-round selection, but his fall was the Vikings’ gain, as they grabbed one of the most pro-ready corners in the draft outside of the top 40 picks.

Booth has an NFL-ready combination of physical and mental traits, with the athleticism, instincts, ball skills and awareness to be a quality starter right out of the gate. His polished technique should allow him to challenge NFL receivers right away, and his ability to excel in press man coverage against some of the best pass-catchers in the college ranks should serve him well at the next level.

Cam Dantzler appears to be developing into one of the league’s better young corners, but the Vikings needed another talented prospect to line up on the other side of the field. Booth was a top-20 player on our board, and could prove to be a huge steal at a premium position for Minnesota.

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Inside look at the Vikings’ draft room when they traded up to take Booth

The Minnesota Vikings had their eye on Andrew Booth Jr. during the 2022 NFL Draft and liked the former Clemson star cornerback so much that they aggressively went after him. The Vikings traded up to grab Booth in the draft, dealing the 53rd (second …

The Minnesota Vikings had their eye on Andrew Booth Jr. during the 2022 NFL Draft and liked the former Clemson star cornerback so much that they aggressively went after him.

The Vikings traded up to grab Booth in the draft, dealing the 53rd (second round), 77th (third round) and 192nd (sixth round) picks to the Indianapolis Colts in order to move up and get Booth in the second round with the 42nd overall selection.

“Of course we want to wait till our guy is at that particular spot, and in the meantime we want to get value for moving back,” Vikings senior football advisor Ryan Grigson said of the team’s draft strategy as it related to taking Booth. “So, obviously Kwesi (Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah) and Rob (Vikings executive vice president-football operations Rob Brzezinski) are so good in that area, and I feel like when our guy showed, we got aggressive, had the capital to go get him and the maneuverability. We went and got our guy. It was really a position of need, and we got a big, physical corner now.”

Take an inside look at the Vikings’ draft room when they moved up to draft the 2021 first-team All-ACC selection in Booth:

Grigson and the Vikings believe Booth, who finished with 39 tackles in addition to a team-best three interceptions in 11 games as a junior at Clemson last season, can hit the ground running as a professional cornerback thanks to what he brings to the table.

“The thing that really sticks out is how hard he competes, and he’s played at a high level at a big-time program, and he always seems to rise to the occasion,” Grigson said. “And if he makes a mistake, he’s looking to make up for it. That’s what’s special about this guy.

“He’s got a lot of dog in him, and our coaches really like what he brings to our system and the versatility in him.”

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Booth discusses his nickname, ‘chip’ he’s bringing to Minnesota

Andrew Booth Jr. wants to be as good of a cornerback as he can be, and the former Clemson star is highly motivated to bring the best version of himself to Minnesota. The Vikings’ second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft (42nd overall selection) has …

Andrew Booth Jr. wants to be as good of a cornerback as he can be, and the former Clemson star is highly motivated to bring the best version of himself to Minnesota.

The Vikings’ second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft (42nd overall selection) has tunnel vision when it comes to his motivation and drive to be the best on the field.

“I’m motivated to be the best I can be,” Booth said in a recent interview with Vikings.com’s Gabe Henderson. “You’re not looking over here, you’re not looking over there. You’re right here, like you’re right there, trying to be the best you. So, that’s it, just being the best me.”

Smooth is a good way to describe the playing style of Booth, a two-time All-ACC selection who concluded his three-year career as a Tiger (2019-21) with 75 tackles (5.5 for loss), 10 pass breakups, five interceptions, a sack and a fumble recovery (which he returned 21 yards for a touchdown) across 35 career games.

Considering the smoothness and effortless athleticism with which he roams the secondary and shuts down opposing receivers, it makes sense that a twist on the word smooth – “Smooov” – is the nickname that many call him by.

“I’ve got a few on-the-field nicknames. But the one that everybody uses, from my football team to family and friends, is Smooov,” he said.

“I don’t mess about, you know what I’m saying,” he added, explaining the nickname. “If it’s the clothes or on the field, just Smoov. Like, just how I am, just the genuine, the realness, everything that comes along with that.”

Projected by many to be a first-round pick, Booth slid to the second round after undergoing sports hernia surgery in March that kept him from participating in the NFL Scouting Combine and Clemson’s Pro Day.

Though Booth may understand why teams had some reservations about drafting him, he is nonetheless starting his NFL career with a chip on his shoulder and intends to bring it with him to Minneapolis.

Asked what the Vikings are getting in him, Booth — who now feels the best he has in a long time from a health standpoint — said it’s 10 times as good of a cornerback as people have seen on film.

“They’re getting everything,” he said. “Y’all see what I put on tape – times that by 10. Times it by 10, because it is a chip. It is a chip, and don’t get me wrong, I’m super excited, super blessed to be here and to be a Viking. I don’t want anybody to get that twisted. But it’s definitely a chip there, so I’m going to carry that, I’m going to bring it with me to Minnesota, and then we gonna get it rocking.”

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.

ESPN analyst believes Booth could be a ‘massive steal’ for Vikings

ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Jordan Reid believes the best value pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft came when the Minnesota Vikings selected former Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. with the 42nd overall pick. Reid wrote in an ESPN+ article …

ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Jordan Reid believes the best value pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft came when the Minnesota Vikings selected former Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. with the 42nd overall pick.

Reid wrote in an ESPN+ article (subscription required) this week that he thinks Booth could be a “massive steal” for the Vikings and that the pick could pay major dividends for the franchise in the future.

“Andrew Booth Jr. was my No. 3 cornerback in this class,” Reid wrote. “The Vikings getting him with the No. 42 pick has a chance to be a massive steal. Heading into the pre-draft process, the former Clemson standout was seen as a potential top-20 pick. After suffering a quad strain during the days leading up to the NFL combine and having sports hernia surgery for the second time in April, there were questions about his long-term durability. The Vikings showed to be confident in his long-term outlook, and it could pay off for them in a big way down the road.”

Booth recorded 39 tackles (3.0 for loss), five pass breakups and a team-high three interceptions in 11 games (all starts) last season en route to first-team All-ACC honors.

The Dacula, Ga., native finished his three-year career with the Tigers (2019-21) with 75 tackles (5.5 for loss), 10 pass breakups, five interceptions, a sack and a fumble recovery (which he returned 21 yards for a touchdown) over 35 career games (15 starts).

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible. 

Analyst weighs in on what type of impact he thinks Booth will make in Minnesota

This analyst, and former ACC and NFL quarterback, envisions former Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. making an instant impact for the Minnesota Vikings. ACC Network analyst EJ Manuel, who played at Florida State from 2009-12 and was a first-round …

This analyst, and former ACC and NFL quarterback, envisions former Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. making an instant impact for the Minnesota Vikings.

ACC Network analyst EJ Manuel, who played at Florida State from 2009-12 and was a first-round NFL Draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2013, weighed in on Booth being picked by the Vikings in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft last week.

“I think Andrew is going to be a day-one starter,” Manuel said during The Huddle: 2022 Draft Recap on ACCN.

“I mean, look, this is a guy that can really shut down an entire side of the field, and that’s what they want.”

Manuel believes Booth is capable of making an impact in the Vikings’ secondary similar to one of Manuel’s former FSU teammates, Xavier Rhodes — a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback and 2017 first-team All-Pro who was drafted by Minnesota in the first round (25th overall) of the 2013 draft.

“They drafted my teammate back when we came out in 2013 in Xavier Rhodes,” Manuel said. “Ended up being an All-Pro player, Pro Bowl-type player, and I think that Andrew Booth can have that same type of impact for the Minnesota Vikings.”

Projected by many to be a first-round pick, Booth slipped in the draft after not being able to work out at the NFL Scouting Combine and Clemson’s Pro Day following the sports hernia surgery that he underwent in March.

Although Booth fell out of the first round, Manuel thinks being picked in the second round is still a “sweet spot” for the 2021 first-team All-ACC selection.

“I thought he was a first-round-level talent,” Manuel said. “Of course, he had the injury throughout the draft process that didn’t allow him to go and compete in the 40 and all that kind of stuff that would have probably wowed some of the coaches and GMs. But I think this is a sweet spot for him. Going in the second round or in the third round, that’s not a bad place to go. I mean, of course it’s not as much up-front money. But if he plays well, which I think he will, early on in his career, that’ll give him a chance to get paid even sooner.”

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Vikings front-office member explains what is ‘special’ about Booth

The Minnesota Vikings are very high on Andrew Booth Jr. So much so that the franchise traded up for the former Clemson star cornerback during the 2022 NFL Draft, dealing the 53rd (second round), 77th (third round) and 192nd (sixth round) picks to …

The Minnesota Vikings are very high on Andrew Booth Jr.

So much so that the franchise traded up for the former Clemson star cornerback during the 2022 NFL Draft, dealing the 53rd (second round), 77th (third round) and 192nd (sixth round) picks to the Indianapolis Colts in order to move up and get Booth in the second round with the 42nd overall selection.

After the Vikings landed the 2021 first-team All-ACC honoree, Vikings senior football advisor Ryan Grigson spoke to the media about what makes Booth stand out and why they wanted him in Minnesota.

“Big, physical, extremely competitive football player,” Grigson said. “Strong, will tackle, is versatile as a cover guy. He has length.”

Grigson and the Vikings believe Booth, who finished with 39 tackles in addition to a team-best three interceptions in 11 games last season, can hit the ground running as a professional cornerback thanks to what he brings to the table.

Members of the Vikings’ front office staff, including Grigson and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, aren’t worried about the sports hernia surgery that Booth underwent before the draft that precluded him from participating in the NFL Scouting Combine and Clemson’s Pro Day.

In addition to Booth’s physical traits, skills, athleticism and versatility, one of the former Tiger’s intangibles really impresses Grigson and the Vikings — his willingness to compete.

“The thing that really sticks out is how hard he competes, and he’s played at a high level at a big-time program, and he always seems to rise to the occasion,” Grigson said. “And if he makes a mistake, he’s looking to make up for it. That’s what’s special about this guy.

“He’s got a lot of dog in him, and our coaches really like what he brings to our system and the versatility in him.”

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Former NFL QB loves this Clemson draft pick

This former NFL quarterback is a big fan of the Minnesota Vikings’ decision to draft former Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL …

This former NFL quarterback is a big fan of the Minnesota Vikings’ decision to draft former Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr.

NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, took to Twitter with his reaction after the Vikings grabbed Booth in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 42nd overall pick this past Friday night.

The Vikings also helped improve their secondary with their first-round selection of Georgia safety Lewis Cine.

“The @Vikings just revamped (their) whole secondary with two picks,” Simms wrote on Twitter. “Andrew Booth has unreal acceleration to break on the ball or just to come down hill and crush a wr on a screen. Love the pick! No question a top 5 corner in the draft for me. Cine and Booth give vikes attitude.”

Simms, who played collegiately at Texas (1999-2002), went on to play in the NFL from 2003-10 with the Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos. He also served as a coaching assistant for the New England Patriots in 2012.

Booth recorded 39 tackles (3.0 for loss), five pass breakups and a team-high three interceptions in 11 games (all starts) last season and finished his three-year career with the Tigers (2019-21) with 75 tackles (5.5 for loss), 10 pass breakups, five interceptions, a sack and a fumble recovery (which he returned 21 yards for a touchdown) over 35 career games (15 starts).

–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images 

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ESPN’s McShay pegs a former Tiger as one of his favorite 2022 NFL Draft picks

A former Clemson star is one of Todd McShay’s favorite picks of the 2022 NFL Draft. The ESPN Senior NFL Draft Analyst released an article naming the best value pick for every NFL team at the draft (subscription required) and pegged former Tiger …

A former Clemson star is one of Todd McShay’s favorite picks of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The ESPN Senior NFL Draft Analyst released an article naming the best value pick for every NFL team at the draft (subscription required) and pegged former Tiger cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. as his favorite pick for the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings got great value with their selection of Booth, snagging the 2021 first-team All-ACC selection — a player many believed might be a first-round pick, including McShay — in the second round with the No. 42 overall pick.

Here’s what McShay had to say about the Vikings grabbing Booth:

The Vikings traded back in the first round and took Georgia safety Lewis Cine to close out Day 1. Good pick. But the team’s first selection of Day 2 was the one that really caught my eye. I thought Booth might be a first-rounder, and I put him at No. 27 on my board. The Vikings managed to land him 10 picks into Round 2. And man, did they need someone like him at cornerback. Patrick Peterson will be 32 years old when the season starts and is starting to show signs of his age. The depth at the position was weak, too.

Booth is a top-end press-man corner, but he’s scheme-versatile and can play in off-man or zone looks. He has playmaker instincts and ball skills, and he’s a willing run defender who flies in on ball carriers. Booth is explosive and has a fluid transition out of his pedal. I love his game.

Booth was projected by many pundits to be a first-round pick, but he recently underwent hernia surgery, which kept him from participating in the NFL Scouting Combine and Clemson’s Pro Day last month and undoubtedly hurt his draft stock.

Booth revealed the surgery he had in March to fix a sports hernia was the second such operation he’s undergone after the initial surgery he underwent in April 2021 “didn’t really do well.” Booth said he first sustained the injury before the 2020 season but played through it, starting just four of the 11 games he played for the Tigers that year.

Booth recorded 39 tackles (3.0 for loss), five pass breakups and a team-high three interceptions in 11 games (all starts) last season and finished his three-year career with the Tigers (2019-21) with 75 tackles (5.5 for loss), 10 pass breakups, five interceptions, a sack and a fumble recovery (which he returned 21 yards for a touchdown) over 35 career games (15 starts).

–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images 

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