Can Andrew Booth Be Coached Up?

April 8th, 2022

Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth.

Joe remembers folks used to grumble about the drafting of Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht. We found out just how important coaching is.

Licht’s drafts were somewhat meh on the surface. But when then-Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bucco Bruce Arians and his staff arrived, they began coaching guys up and developing young players.

All of a sudden Licht very much knew what he was doing. It was the Bucs coaches, not the players, who had failed him (and the organization).

So this got Joe to thinking about Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth. Joe really likes Booth for a big reason, and that is the man can tackle. Joe was saddened by the poor tackling from Bucs corners in the loss to the Rams in the playoffs. That may have made the difference between a win and a loss.

With Booth, there is no such problem.

But reading Dane Brugler’s assessment in The Athletic — he believes Booth is the fourth-best corner in the draft — it seems he favors Booth as a man-coverage corner.

SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Clemson, Booth was an outside cornerback in former defensive coordinator Brent Venables’ man and zone schemes, including bail and side-saddle techniques. A former five-star recruit, he blossomed over the last three years for the Tigers and had a strong junior season, including impressive tapes
against the two SEC teams on the 2021 schedule (Georgia and South Carolina). Booth stays in phase because of his lower-body quickness and hip-flip skills to mirror routes, staying coordinated in his transitions and in position to make plays on the ball. There is nothing finesse about his play style and he takes his contain responsibilities seriously in the run game, but his downhill aggressiveness makes his tackling an adventure. Overall, Booth’s tape has some volatility and he must mature his feel for spacing, but he has fluid athleticism, finds the football and disrupts the catch point, three important ingredients to playing the position at a high level. He has NFL starting traits (if he stays healthy) and projects best in a man-heavy scheme.

A man who is physical with receivers, tackles, sheds blocks, jams the line and creates turnovers is Joe’s kind of corner. The traits are to be admired.

Joe just wonders if Bucs coaches are able to coach up Booth to be able to handle zone coverage? Todd Bowles is a zone-coverage kind of guy.

17 Responses to “Can Andrew Booth Be Coached Up?”

  1. BigMacAttack Says:

    Agreed. I like him too. We definitely need better tackling especially in the secondary. And we all know you can never have too many CB’s or Safety’s on the back end. A solid pic.

  2. Parrishbucsfan Says:

    Man to man with safety at top is best way to defend

  3. Buczilla Says:

    I trust our coaches to coach this dude up if he falls to us.

  4. Bucs Guy Says:

    Does anyone really believe the Bucs will take a CB, OLine or even a RB with their first pick? Yes there are many mock drafts where people are still saying so and haven’t updated their notes from FA and re-signing of a team’s own players. The Bucs are going DLine with the first pick and maybe even both of their first 2 picks. The only unknown is if they go DE or DT. After that TE. Day 3 will be CB, RB, C/G and maybe a WR. I would like the Bucs to also consider a punter.

  5. Tim from the Netherlands Says:

    Round 1:

    Devonte Wyatt DT Clemson
    Travis Jones DT Connecticut
    Boye Mafe DE Minnosota
    Arnold Ebiketie DE Penn State
    Zion Johnson OG Boston College
    Kingsley Enagbare DE South Carolina
    Jahan Dotson WR Penn State
    Treylon Burks WR Arkansas

    Those are my options for our 27th overall pick. Any one of them would be great. I prefer DI/DE tho.

  6. dmatt Says:

    I’m fine with a cb in rounds 2or 3. However, we need someone who plays aggressive, has good instincts, reactionary time, n tackles well, because I’m still not sold on JDean. He’s slow to react to the ball, is a poor tackler, n still play confused. With his size n speed, I had expectations of him to be a top five corner. And, SMB was embarrassing in the playoffs. He’s outta his league, 2020 was a fluke season for him. CDavis is a baller so we need to draft someone to to come in n compliment him as the second corner.

  7. Drebucsfan Says:

    Definitely better than that Gordon kid who was a cheerleader and runs a 4.5 lol

  8. Buc92’ Says:

    Andrew booth the truth , no coaching up needed he’s a dawg , sign him up

    GoBucs!

  9. 1#bucsfan Says:

    Agreed Joe rams loss is a big one that comes to mind with all the missed tackles and there were several other games where it just seemed like the Bucs were too good to tackle like because we are the champs players just going to fall down for us come on defense show up this year play angry n aggressive. Play like we did when we won the super bowl. That 2020 defense in the playoffs played like we had sapp brooks lynch and rice out there playing. Bring back the gravediggers. Let’s goooo

  10. Jimmy Says:

    Gordon: Just what the Bucs need, a WNBA cheerleader. Don’t they already one of those on the field at halftime and during timeouts?

  11. Sorryjackchuckiesback Says:

    Kyler Gordon may be available and I think he is head and shoulders above Booth in NFL ready talent … He’s great in press and off coverage and zone is his thing plus he’s excellent when put in the slot for blitzing!! … If Gordon is available he’s who they should get!! Especially with how injury plagued their corners were last year … Gordon is solid as a rock and if I’m remembering correctly has never missed a snap!!

  12. DaBux Says:

    If D. Wyatt from GA is there you take him. We need some more Vea type nasty on the DL.

  13. sasquatch Says:

    I don’t see favoring a CB over DL in round 1, all other things being equal. If one of the corners being floated is clearly a better player than the remaining DL, okay then. Same could be said for SS. Definitely think that’s in the mix for us in round 1.

  14. BillyBucco Says:

    I really believe Suh will be back, maybe even JPP.
    If so either Booth or Cam Taylor Britt out of Nebraska.

    They just interviewed him on Good Morning Football (Sad no Kay)
    His highlights show extreme athleticism and confidence.
    Plus they call him “Juice” and we just lost a “Juice” who was more like “Jello”.

  15. Bucsfan4ever Says:

    I miss Monte Kiffen’s defence.
    Those guys never missed a tackle.
    Barber, Lynch, Brooks……no escape.

  16. Ash Says:

    It’s more the era I miss they actually tackled in practice when monte was with the bucs which is something they really don’t do so much anymore for fear of injury which makes them bad at tackling during the games if you are not going to practice it of course you are going to be terrible at it.

  17. teacherman777 Says:

    I want an OG/C.

    We should secure our O-Line.