Andrew Booth ‘Brings a lot to the Table’ for Minnesota Vikings

CLEMSON, S.C. — The Minnesota Vikings came into Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft on Friday with the No. 34 overall pick. With the Vikings having a need for a cornerback, and Andrew Booth still on the board as the top-rated corner, it seemed like a done deal for the former Clemson Tiger.

But the NFL Draft does not always produce a nice, neat bow.

In a stunning move, the Vikings traded their 34th pick to NFC North Division rival the Green Bay Packers, who took North Dakota State wide receiver Christian Watson. From there, three defensive backs quickly came off the board ahead of Booth.

Tennessee took Auburn’s Roger McCreay at No. 35. Houston selected Baylor’s Jalen Pitre at 37 and Chicago got Washington’s Kyler Gordon at 39.

With cornerbacks jumping off the board and Booth being the guy they coveted the most, the Vikings did not want to take any more chances and traded their No. 53 and No. 59 picks they got from the Packers to the Indianapolis Colts, in exchange to move up 11 spots to grab Booth with the No. 42 spot in the draft.

“Of course, we wanted to get him because he brings a lot to the table,” said Minnesota’s Ryan Grigson, the team’s Senior Personnel Director. “His competitiveness. His size. He plays at a high level, and he played for a really good program, like our last pick.

“So, he can hit the ground running in a lot of ways, as a pro. He was the guy we wanted, and it was nice that Kwesi, Rob and the group were able to maneuver and work the board and get trade back value and move back into the pick when we found our target.”

Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and new head coach Kevin O’Connell were not concerned with Booth’s hernia surgery which prevented him from working out at the NFL Scouting Combine and Clemson’s Pro Day.

“It looks like he should have a fine recovery,” Grigson said. “A lot of guys get the same surgery and always have positive results. Same surgeon and all that kind of stuff. He is going to be fine. He is a tough, tough kid.”

With a lot of the traits Booth brings to the Twin City, the Vikings feel like they can move Booth around.

“He’s got length,” Grigson said. “He has good hips. He can turn the ball over. He has really good ball skills.”

What Grigson likes the most about Booth, besides his athleticism, is the way the Clemson corner competes and how much he cares. He said it speaks to Booth’s character and his love for the game of football.

“He is a football junkie. That is all I can tell you there,” Grigson said. “He is really devoted to the game. He loves the game, and his passion shows on the field. I feel like he really cares. That comes through when you watch him play.”

The Vikings also love Booth’s aggressiveness and how he goes and gets the football when it is in the air.

“Another really encouraging thing is, if he makes a mistake, you can kind of pick out points in the film where he makes up for it,” Grigson said. “He is a really intense competitor. The word dawg is thrown around a lot, but you see a lot of that on film.”

Booth was the first Clemson Tiger selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.