“The more you watch him on tape, the more you like what you see,” Davis wrote. “The Pats have lost Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson over the last two years, so this Clemson Tiger will be drafted to play right now.”
Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports sees eye-to-eye with Davis, projecting the same landing spot for Booth in his latest mock draft released April 20.
“Andrew Booth had a strong ’21 season for Clemson and he’s only going to get better with experience,” Wilson wrote. “The Patriots lost J.C. Jackson to the Chargers and they’ll need to upgrade their secondary this offseason, something they didn’t do during the first week of free agency.”
Dalton Miller of Pro Football Network agrees with Wilson and Davis, also projecting Booth to the Patriots in his latest mock draft released April 16.
“Andrew Booth Jr. feels like a perfect fit for Bill Belichick and the Patriots defense,” Miller wrote. “He is a moldable ball of clay. Athletically, there’s nothing he can’t do. He’s endlessly fluid and possesses outstanding explosiveness. Booth displays good route anticipation but can be a bit jumpy at times on double moves. As he becomes more consistent, he could be one of the better cornerbacks in the league.”
Likewise, Pro Football Focus’s Anthony Treash projected Booth to the Pats in his April 11 mock draft.
“Booth doesn’t quite have the lockdown numbers as some of the other top corner prospects in this class, as he allowed 329 yards across 288 coverage snaps in 2021,” Treash wrote. “However, he does have the tools worth taking a swing on in the first round.
“The 2019 five-star recruit has exceptional feet, good length and brings the physicality out on the field. Booth also made up for lost time down the stretch of 2021, as he combined for five interceptions and pass breakups in his final three starts.”
Mel Kiper and Todd McShay’s joint mock draft for ESPN, released April 19 (subscription required), differs from the aforementioned mock drafts and has Booth going to the Buffalo Bills in the first round with the 25th overall pick.
“Six receivers are off the board, so I’m looking at cornerback here all the way,” McShay wrote. “Booth — who excels in press-man coverage — would be a perfect replacement for Levi Wallace opposite Tre’Davious White (who is recovering from a torn ACL).”
