New England Patriots 2022 NFL Draft: 5 Targets With No. 21 Pick
By Kyle Edmond
New England Patriots 2022 NFL Draft Target #2: Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson
Like the linebackers in the 2022 NFL Draft, the cornerback class is hard to get a grasp for rankings. Ahmad Gardner has emerged as the top target with Derek Stingley Jr. not far behind. Beyond that it’s hard to tell who’s next. Trent McDuffie and Andrew Booth Jr. are right there with Kyler Gordon, Kaiir Elam and others in the mix, too.
For the Patriots, Booth seems like the player that could make the most sense. His stats don’t jump off the page which could push teams to look elsewhere, but the talent is clearly there. Again, seems like the type of player Belichick could look to add and groom.
Putting Booth on the same roster as veterans like Devin McCourty and Malcolm Butler will allow him to get the development he needs to become a great player. He’s more than capable of stepping into a starting role now, but that time will help.
The one catch is Belichick has never taken a true cornerback in the first since joining the Patriots. McCourty was more of a safety and that’s about it that could count as a corner. That’s not to say it couldn’t happen, but Belichick usually puts this off until after the first round.