3 overreactions from the Vikings ugly Week 11 loss to the Cowboys

Booth is already a bust of a draft pick

Earlier this year, during the 2022 NFL Draft, the Vikings decided to use their first of two second-round picks on cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., who spent his college career at Clemson.

Booth was regarded by some as a first-round talent, but injury concerns caused him to fall into the second round.

Last week against the Bills, Minnesota’s rookie cornerback got on the field with the defense for the first time this season. On Sunday, Booth got the start against the Cowboys.

So far, it’s very clear that he’s a rookie. In the last two games, Booth has been targeted 15 times by the opposing quarterback, according to PFF. He’s allowed those targets to be turned into 13 completions for 152 yards.

Booth hasn’t given up a touchdown in the last two weeks, but allowing opposing receivers to gain an average of 11.7 yards per catch when he’s covering them isn’t anything to be excited about either.

Should we really be surprised by his performance this season though? Booth entered the 2022 season as the No. 5 cornerback on the Vikings’ depth chart, and we’ve seen exactly why during the last two weeks.

Injuries played a part in him not getting on the field earlier this season, but Minnesota’s coaching staff clearly didn’t believe he was ready for a significant role on the defense as well. And you know what? That is perfectly fine.

Cornerback is one of the hardest positions when it comes to transitioning from the college level to the NFL. Rookie corners are going to struggle at the pro level more often than not, and any success in their first year is typically a surprise.

So has Booth performed well during the Vikings’ last two games? No, he hasn’t. Does this mean we should write off his future in the NFL? No, it doesn’t.

But until Akayleb Evans and Cameron Dantzler are able to return from their injuries, Minnesota doesn’t really have any other choice than to keep giving Booth snaps on defense.