NFL Draft 2022 Scouting Report: CB Andrew Booth + Mario Goodrich, Clemson

*CB grades can and will change as more information comes in from Pro Day workouts, Wonderlic test results leaked, etc. We will update info as it becomes available. 

The overall difference/comparison between the Clemson 2021 1st-team All-ACC CB duo of Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich can be found in the tape of their 2021 season opener game versus (the eventual CFB champions) Georgia.

Quite simply, in that game, Georgia stayed the heck away from throwing passes to the side of the field where Booth resided and went after Goodrich all game. They had two poisons to pick, and they chose Goodrich time and time again. After my tape and data studies, and to our computer models, there is no doubt about it that Georgia made the right call – Andrew Booth is the far superior, to-be-feared Clemson CB.

That doesn’t mean Goodrich is terrible, but I’d say the gap, the comparison is – Andrew Booth is a legit 1st-round, top 10-15 pick cornerback prospect and Mario Goodrich is a solid day three of the draft useful body CB to add.

I like Goodrich OK. He’s scrappy. He’s a high effort, quick footed enough, physically a bit wiry (needs to add 5+ pounds of muscle/bulk) and solid in mirroring/shadowing WRs. He’s not the best CB prospect that I’ve watched, he’s not the worst. He’s NFL-worthy. Not ‘great’ at anything but mostly ‘good’ or ‘acceptable’ in the attributes you look at for an NFL corner.

Booth on the other hand…he’s really, really good. I thought he might be the best CB prospect in the draft after doing NFL Combine previews on all the prospects…until I studied Ahmad Gardner deeper and…’wow’ is an understatement on ‘Sauce’. But Booth is a nice consolation prize to Gardner at corner, and most see him as a top 10-20 draft pick already…but I would add to that – I believe Booth is way better CB prospect than Derek Stingley, among the media upper class of CB prospects.

Booth is listed about the same size as Goodrich (6’0”+/190s), but Booth looks more solid, more muscular and plays a lot faster and more aggressive. Booth will get physical with WRs or just chase them around all over with speed/mirror ability. Goodrich is more a run with/try to mirror corner, not quite as physical. Booth can shut down WRs and be an NFL shutdown/#1 corner pretty quickly…whereas Goodrich is likely a #2-3 corner who will not be tapped to be a shutdown guy.

Goodrich’s prospects are helped by his off-field/character check. A quiet, respected in the locker room, serious player…a permanent team captain.

But Booth has some issues, non-tape related. It’s not a bad character situation either…he was an All-ACC academic on-and-off during his time at Clemson, but Booth has a bit of a ‘red flag’ for injury/durability. Knee issue/surgery 2020…has knee issues from a disease detected in his childhood. Hurt his quad/hamstring working out for the Combine and had to withdraw. Then had to have core muscle surgery as well this offseason. The tape is great. The character is fine…a bit chippy, an edge/chip about him that can get him in trouble…but almost in a ‘good way’ for a football player -- but the injury checklist has a few items to concern you. Outside of the injuries – Booth is legit for the NFL, on talent/tape.

Andrew Booth + Mario Goodrich, Through the Lens of Our CB Scouting Algorithm:

 -- Both guys 1st-team All-ACC in 2021

 -- Goodrich the MVP of the Cheez It Bowl last season.

 -- Booth a five-star recruit out of high school.

 -- Booth not thrown at much, but still snagged 5 picks in the last two seasons. Goodrich thrown at a lot more with 4 picks in that same span.

 -- Booth has 4 or more total tackles in a game in nine of his last 17 games in college. *Goodrich 5 games with 4 or more. Both are decent/willing tacklers, but Booth the better of the two.

2022 NFL Combine Measurables:

6’0’2”/194, 9.4” hands, 31.5” arms, 76.8” wingspan = Booth

6’0.2”/191, 9.2” hands, 30.6” arms, 75.0” wingspan = Goodrich

Booth couldn’t do any pre-Draft workouts due to his injuries.

Goodrich had a rib issue which kept him from doing everything at the Combine, but posted a 4.52 40-time, 2.62 20-yard, 1.56 10-yard. At his Pro Day, a flimsy 31” vertical and a solid 10’2” broad jump.

The Historical CB Prospects to Whom Andrew Booth + Mario Goodrich Most Compares Within Our System:

Booth comps with legit, higher-end NFL corners like Marshon Lattimore and Darius Slay…great comps for him.

Goodrich comps with overachiever, scrappy but beatable CBs like Averett, Pierre, AJ Parker…and I think Barcoo could have his day in the NFL soon.

*The ratings are based on a 1–10 rating scale, but a prospect can score over 10.0+ and less than 0.0

OVERALL RATING -- We merge the data from physical measurables, skill times/counts from the NFL Combine/Pro Days, with college performance data available on pass coverage/tackles, etc. and grade it compared to our database history of all college CBs, with a focus on which CBs went on to be good-great-elite in the NFL. We found characteristics/data points that the successful NFL CBs had in common in college, that most other CB prospects could not match/achieve.

Scoring with a rating over a 7.00+ in our system is where we start to take a CB prospect more seriously. Most of the future NFL successful college CBs scored 8.00+, and most of the NFL superior CBs pushed scores more in the 9.00+ levels...and future NFL busts will sneak in there from time to time. 10.00+ is where most of the elite NFL CBs tend to score in our system analysis.

COVERAGE -- A combination of on-field data/performance and physical profile data

SPEED -- Measurables from a perspective of straight-line speed, burst, etc.

AGILITY -- Measurables for lateral movements, quick cuts, body type, speed, etc. 

POWER -- A look at physical size, tackling productivity in college, other physical measurables. One of the side benefits/intentions here, is to see which CBs may be more of a model for a conversion to playing safety successfully in the NFL. Also denotes CBs who are more physical/will have higher tackle totals...over pure speed/coverage CBs.

2022 NFL Draft Outlook:

Booth is headed towards a 1st-round draft pick…top 15-20 is the likely range. Goodrich is like 4th-round, maybe 5th-round.

If I were an NFL GM, I’d have interest in Booth for sure…if I had a need for an instant impact CB in the mid-1st-round, I’d be thinking about it. I’d rather go for Zyon McCollum in the 2nd or 3rd-round but Booth is more ready now…McCollum the massive upside.

I am OK having Goodrich on my roster but I would likely not draft him…there are better things out there than using a draft pick on an ‘OK’ corner 4th-5th-round.

NFL Outlook:   

Booth will be a Pro Bowl player if his knees hold up.

Goodrich will be an NFL corner for years, probably more backup/nickel and spot starter type…a journeyman-ish, OK corner.