Where Clemson’s Andrew Booth, Justyn Ross stand prior to 2022 NFL Draft
Former Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth’s pro stock remains high less than a week before the NFL Draft begins.
Despite not being able to compete at the NFL Scouting Combine and the Tigers’ on-campus Pro Day, Booth is still projected to be a first-round pick. Sporting News and Fox Sports have the corner going as high as the 12th pick to the Minnesota Vikings. CBS Sports, NFL Draft analyst Charles Davis, USA Today have him going to the New England Patriots at No. 21, while ESPN NFL Draft analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay project him at the 25th spot to the Buffalo Bills.
From his size — 5-foot-11⅞, 196 pounds — to athleticism, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid believes Booth has everything it takes to be a first-round cornerback in this year’s draft.
“Then the physicality, too,” Reid added. “I think that’s another box that he checks along with the process, and then the character checks out as well, too. … It’s just durability. That’s the biggest question entering the league. That’s the biggest question mark with him just recently having the surgery.”
Booth was expected to have sports hernia surgery a week after Clemson’s Pro Day while also healing up from a strained quad sustained during his combine prep. According to the Cleveland (Ohio) Clinic, recovery time for the surgery can be anywhere from six to 12 weeks with physical therapy and rehabilitation. At most, the timeline would have Booth ready by the beginning of July and in time for preseason camp.
The only negative mark Reid sees on Booth’s junior year resume was Clemson’s game at N.C. State, ending in a 27-21 double overtime loss on Sept. 25. When Booth talked to Reid at Pro Day, he admitted he underestimated the Wolfpack and used the experience as a wakeup call.
“I think the one game obviously that stands out for him this year was the South Carolina game where he had two interceptions,” Reid said, referencing the Tigers’ regular season-ending 30-0 victory. “It should have been three if he catches the first one, but he had two interceptions in that game and just how strong he finished and I thought he played well in a bowl game, too.”
Once widely considered a first-round prospect, former Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross’s draft stock has dropped significantly in recent years due to the congenital fusion in his spine. It’s a situation he says he’s addressed with teams, but there are some who are still sheepish.
“That’s the big thing at the top of his resume, his pre-draft portfolio right now,” said Reid, who has Ross going on the third and final day of the draft. “It’s just what teams are going to be comfortable taking the risk on Ross, especially when you’re talking about such a serious injury like a neck. There’s always going to be that risk. … Him coming back was big for him just from a mental standpoint. You could tell he started off a little bit slow when he did come back, but once he got in the groove of things, I really thought he hit his stride during the tail end of the year.”
Despite missing three games with a foot injury, Ross was the Tigers’ leading receiver with 514 yards on 46 catches with three touchdowns. For his career, the Alabama native totaled 20 touchdowns, which ties him with Aaron Kelly (2005-08) and Deon Cain (2015-17) for fifth-most receiving TDs in program history.
The silver lining to Ross being projected to fall to the later rounds is a potential reunion with former Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville. The Jaguars have pick Nos. 65, 70, 106, 157, 188, 197, 198, 222 and 235, where they could potentially pick him up.
Lawrence was asked about the possibility of playing with Ross again during the Jaguars’ first week of voluntary workouts and said he’d love to play with his former teammate again “if that ends up working out.” From a production standpoint, it would make sense to bring Ross in and add a level of comfort for Lawrence after a less-than-ideal rookie season.
“Being with a new regime, a new coaching staff and being in a new system, the best way to make him feel comfortable, is just to get him some familiarity with some of the targets that he’s used to throwing to,” Reid said of Lawrence. “Just knowing and bonding, having that previous relationship, I think it’s a great way to help Trevor feel comfortable.”
The NFL Draft is set for April 28-30 in Las Vegas. It will be aired on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network.
This story was originally published April 22, 2022 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Where Clemson’s Andrew Booth, Justyn Ross stand prior to 2022 NFL Draft."
