Every Minnesota Vikings’ fan knows the name, but we haven’t seen much of cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. on the field since he was drafted 42nd overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. In only 256 snaps over two seasons Booth Jr. has:
- 20 total tackles
- 0 sacks
- 0 interceptions
- 1 pass defense
Pretty bare stats for a player drafted in the second round. Not only that, but his Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades aren’t much better. In 2022, he posted an overall PFF defensive grade of 45.3. In 2023, he improved slightly but still a below average grade of 68.6.
Andrew Booth Jr. has a head-scratching interview on the first day of training camp
Despite failing to even win even a backup role over two seasons, Booth Jr. may have a chance this year due to extremely unfortunate situations. Khyree Jackson, who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft, showed potential to get some starting reps this season. Unfortunately, he was killed in a car accident along with two others just recently.
Mekhi Blackmon, another cornerback he who got starting reps over Booth Jr. last season, tore his ACL on the first training camp practice of the year and will miss the entire season. With a cornerback room that is significantly depleted right now, Booth Jr. has a chance to prove himself, but does he actually even care to play?
In a recent interview with Darren Wolfson (KSTP), Booth Jr. is being asked questions about his role on the team and why this offseason is extremely important to him. Let’s just say… it’s quite interesting at times.
After watching the video, you can see Booth Jr. never really makes eye contact with Wolfson and is seen smacking his gum over and over again. His answers seem vague, and he just doesn’t seem to show determination to truly want to make an impact for this team.
Andrew Booth Jr.’s outlook in training camp and into the 2024 season
Despite the assumptions of this interview, this may just be his personality. You have to give the player the benefit of the doubt. With that said, these types of interviews won’t do him any justice. He’s going to have to perform at a high level if he wants to make this team.
BoothJr. has struggled learning the system over the years, but this is the time for him to shine. With the depleted cornerback room, Booth Jr. has a great chance to make the roster and maybe even cement himself as a rotational player. Something that seemed slim only a few short weeks ago. In the end, it’s up to him to prove that on the field throughout these next weeks at Minnesota Vikings’ training camp.
