Steelers draft: Breaking down the top-4 cornerback options in the NFL Draft
CB Andrew Booth Jr.
Unlike the others, Andrew Booth Jr. plays his best when he is in man coverage. If you watched the Georgia game he was right on his man the entire time, that shows what he can do when he is playing to his strengths. Booth Jr. isn’t a bad zone coverage player he found success in it this past college season, but like any corner, he had his struggles and he didn’t often have those struggles with man coverage.
The cornerbacks in this class are good at making tackles and being aggressive when they do, and that doesn’t stop here with Andrew, he makes tackles important tackles everywhere and would help the run defense at least a little, but I’m sure the Steelers would take any help they can get in that department.
Andrew has a track record of making plays on the ball and used to be a receiver and return man. Because of his history as a receiver, Andrew has the athletic traits and practice of making plays on the ball and that has undoubtedly helped him perform the way he does. Joe Marino from The Draft Network has compared him to Green Bay Packers corner Jaire Alexander.
Joe Marino also has said that Booth Jr.’s football IQ shows up when he is tackling or defending running with the receivers in man coverage and his overall awareness. Marino also goes on to say that Andrew is a competitor and the Steelers are always looking for a competitive team.
The Steelers do have their choice of CBs in this class are there are a few others that are up for a 1st round pick such as these 4. I would like the Steelers to select either Trent McDuffie because of his versatility and zone coverage skills.
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I could also see the Steelers selecting Ahmed Gardner because of his size, speed, experience as a starter, and his ability to excel at press coverage and help take away players like Ja’Marr Chase or Hollywood Brown for years to come. The Steelers do not have the best track record when it comes to drafting cornerbacks, but I think this is the most talented CB class we’ve seen in a while and it runs deep. The Steelers should invest a 1st or 2nd round pick in some secondary help for the 2022 season.