Vikings CBs Andrew Booth Jr, Akayleb Evans Looking to Stay Healthy and Produce in Year 2

It was a rough rookie season for Vikings cornerbacks Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans, who were selected in the second and fourth round last year to become long-term fixtures in Minnesota's secondary.

At times, both showed flashes of their ability. With Booth, that mostly took place during training camp. Evans displayed more promise during the regular season, especially in a breakout performance against the Commanders. But it was a small sample size for both players because, unfortunately, neither one was able to stay healthy.

Booth, who came into the NFL with a lengthy injury history, missed time due to various ailments before undergoing season-ending knee surgery in in November. He played a total of 105 defensive snaps in two regular season games and really struggled in that limited action. Though, to be fair, Booth said he actually hurt his knee in the first quarter against the Cowboys and still played the rest of the game without knowing he was injured.

Heading into year two, the Clemson product is feeling good and hoping to stay available so he can show off the talent that had him firmly in the first-round discussion last year.

"It was a big learning process," Booth said of his rookie season. "Learning how to become a pro was what rookie year was about. I dealt with a lot of injuries. Just learning how to be a pro in taking care of your body — that's what's going to provide my longevity. It's work that has to be done outside this facility. Even if I'm in the training room, there's work I have to do at home, I can go different places to get that extra treatment."

As he finishes his recovery process, Booth will be limited during OTAs. But he's expected to be a full go for training camp, where he'll compete for a starting role under new coordinator Brian Flores.

Evans saw some mop-up snaps early in the season, then got his opportunity in Week 9 when Cameron Dantzler went down with an injury. He was thrust into action against Washington and excelled, making two tackles for loss and breaking up a pass intended for Terry McLaurin on a key fourth down. Evans made his first career start in Buffalo the following week, but that was quickly cut short when he suffered a concussion.

Really encouraging performance from Akayleb Evans today. Two TFLs, another really impressive tackle in space vs a RB on a stretch run, didn't give up a catch all game -- including coming away with this PBU on 4th & 1:pic.twitter.com/o3CqHaZg10
— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) November 6, 2022

In total, Evans had three different stints in concussion protocol as a rookie, getting shut down for good after the last one in Week 13. This year, he'll be wearing a specialty Vicis helmet — which will be molded to his head and feature extra padding — and a device called a Q-collar in the hopes of preventing further brain injuries. He's also focused on making safer and smarter tackles to avoid head trauma.

"My mindset when I tackle is always just, be aggressive," Evans said. "But not every tackle has to be a kill shot. Just keeping my head out of it, the fundamentals of how to tackle."

"I have a lot more life to live after football," he added.

If Evans can stay on the field, he too has the tools and ability to be in the mix for a starting job. His combination of length and speed gives him significant potential.

"I'm really excited (about this season)," he said. "I feel like I was able to show some flashes of what I can do last year, but I feel like this year is about taking over."

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