Clemson football: Andrew Booth Jr. drafted by the Minnesota Vikings

Clemson football, accustomed to it’s players being selected in the first round, had to wait for the first Tiger to come off the board in 2022.

Andrew Booth Jr. – Cornerback, 2019-21

Drafted by: Minnesota Vikings

Round: 2

Pick: 10

Quick take: Booth’s post-season injury had created some questions about his 1st round status, but most of the projections still had him going in the latter half of the first 32 picks. I thought his film told teams what they needed to know: when he is healthy, he is a freak athlete. He can make big plays, but he is also physical – he is willing and able to make tackles.

Clearly, NFL decision makers were spooked by something, and I can only assume it is Booth’s injury. He had surgery for a sports hernia, which isn’t actually a true hernia. It is a separation of tendons that attach to the pelvis. They are often caused by repetitive twitchy motions, and we know how important good swivel movements are for corners in the NFL. There might be some questions whether Booth will be as explosive as he was at Clemson.

It looked like the Vikings might take Booth early on Day 2, but they quickly traded down. Apparently that was just a swerve, because they traded back up almost as fast to take Booth with the 10th pick in the 2nd round. Minnesota has Patrick Peterson on one side, but they had questions about CB #2. All reports say Booth should be ready to go by training camp, but he will need to impress out of the gate to lock down a starting spot. Not having an offseason to catch up is a big obstacle for a rookie.

Early indications suggest Viking Nation is pleased with the pick.

Clemson highlights:

• 75 tackles
• 5.5 tackles for loss
• 10 pass breakups
• 5 interceptions
• 1 sack
• 1 fumble recovery returned for 21 yard touchdown

Draft Projections:

• ESPN Jordan Reid: 1st Round
• CBS Ryan Wilson: 1st Round
• CBS Josh Edwards: 1st Round
• Sporting News: 1st Round
• Walterfootball.com: 1st Round
• Drafttek: 1st Round

Booth on Coach Swinney’s Love Shack:

"“It meant everything. That is the kind of guy Coach Swinney is. I knew he knew who I was. I kinda lost my head and he knew that. It was very encouraging for him to know that wasn’t the real me out there. It was huge, I really learned a lot. It was a time for me to grow up and learn. I definitely learned from it. You live and you learn. You go in the love shack and that’s it. You learn from your mistakes.And then you’re back out there.”"