K.J. Osborn Praises Andrew Booth Jr: 'He's Bigger, Stronger, Faster'

Booth is hoping to stay healthy and earn a starting role in his second season.

There was a bit of a scary moment at Tuesday's Vikings OTA practice. 

Kirk Cousins rifled a ball to the back of the end zone during a red zone period, and both K.J. Osborn and Andrew Booth Jr. tried to make a play. In the process, Booth knocked Osborn to the ground, something that isn't supposed to happen in these padless practices. Osborn appeared to be hurt and stayed down for more than ten seconds before getting to his feet and slowly walking off the field with trainers.

Luckily, Osborn just fell on the football and got the wind knocked out of him.

"I haven't had that happen probably since like middle school, high school," he said afterwards. "I was trying to talk but couldn't get that wind back. I'm good though."

Asked about the fine line of competing without risking injury, Osborn — who has stepped into a leadership role this offseason — said he had no issue with Booth's physicality, and even took the opportunity to praise the second-year cornerback's progress.

"It's football," Osborn said. "Being competitive. He's out there trying to work at his craft. He's been working all offseason to get back out here. He's bigger, he's stronger, he's faster. I talked to him, I mean, I can tell. He's excited to get out here, I'm excited to work and get better and just compete. Of course we want to stay off the ground, but if you happen to go down, we'll bite it."

This is a big year for Booth, a second-round pick out of Clemson last season. He fell out of the first round due to injury concerns that proved justified in his rookie season, as he missed most of the year due to various ailments. When he did appear in two games against the Bills and Cowboys, he was burned for 13 catches and 152 yards on 15 targets in his coverage, with two missed tackles and two penalties.

If he can stay healthy — which is a bigger "if" than it is for most players — Booth has the tools to become a quality starting corner. He's been working hard this offseason, and teammates like Osborn are taking notice.

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