Tag: nfl draft cornerbacks

Expect Andrew Booth Jr. to be drafted early in round two

After not hearing his name called on day one of the 2022 NFL Draft, Andrew Booth Jr. should fall off the board quickly in round two.

Despite being projected by most mock drafts as a first-round talent, Andrew Booth Jr. didn’t hear his name called in round one of the 2022 NFL Draft. Still, the former Clemson cornerback should fall off the board very quickly in round two on Friday.

After trading their original first-round selections, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings have the No. 33 and No. 34 picks, respectively, and both are cornerback-needy teams.

According to USA TODAY Sports’ Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, Booth is the third-best remaining prospect, behind Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean and Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. Here’s what Middlehurst-Schwartz had to say about Booth.

The combination of quick feet at the line of scrimmage and rapid closing speed to get his hands on the ball make Booth a formidable matchup when he maintains his composure. Receivers can turn his aggressiveness against him, however, making it imperative for Booth to play with more restraint at the next level.

The 2021 First-team All-ACC selection finished his collegiate career with 75 tackles, ten pass breakups and five interceptions, three of which came last season. Four cornerbacks were taken in round one, so outside of Booth, the Buccaneers and Vikings don’t have many options left in the cornerback department.

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NFL Draft: Is Troy Pride, Jr. Still A Sleeper? USA TODAY Says Yes

His numbers don’t jump off the page at you as he intercepted four passes in his Notre Dame career which feels rather low for a two-year starter and regular contributor for even longer.

If you’ve been paying attention to NFL Mock Drafts or the off-season work to get to April’s NFL Draft, a Notre Dame player you’ve heard great compliments about over the last month has been cornerback Troy Pride, Jr.

Pride was a mainstay in the Notre Dame secondary over the last three seasons, appearing in 37 games in that time.  His numbers don’t jump off the page at you as he intercepted four passes in his Notre Dame career which feels rather low for a two-year starter and regular contributor for even longer.

He also started all 13 games on Notre Dame’s 2019 squad that not only went 11-2 but also allowed the third-fewest pass yards in all of college football.  If he wasn’t intercepting passes, he certainly wasn’t allowing big plays either.

Pride’s speed has been discussed at length and will be on full display at the upcoming NFL Combine.  For those paying attention he’s been seemingly climbing draft boards for a while now and his rise doesn’t feel like a surprise.

The USA TODAY Wednesday gave names of 11 draft sleepers and mentions Pride:
It’s hard to fathom a two-year starter at Notre Dame who also ran track would end up on this list. Pride, however, hasn’t received widespread recognition, even after an impressive Senior Bowl week in which he flustered nearly all of his opposition. At 5-11 and 195 pounds, he won’t be confused for Richard Sherman or Patrick Peterson, particularly given he recorded just four interceptions in three years. But his quick feet and recognition skills allow him to stick close to pass catchers and deny them any easy opportunities.

His size will keep him from ever being seen as a truly elite NFL prospect and if he his ultimately limited in the league, that’ll likely be why.  But his tape doesn’t lie and giving up a few well-thrown back shoulder throws this year may have urked some Notre Dame fans, but his skills and speed speak for themselves.

He might not be some superstar in the NFL but assuming health (which can be risky) I have trouble believing his skill-set and speed won’t keep him cashing league checks for a good amount of time.