The New England Patriots reportedly are scheduled to meet with one of the top cornerbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft class.
Clemson's Andrew Booth Jr. will be in town for a top-30 visit on Friday, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. NFL teams are allowed to host up to 30 prospects at their facilities ahead of the draft.
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Booth is projected to be selected in the first round and could be available when the Patriots are on the clock at No. 21 overall. In our Phil Perry's latest mock draft, Booth lands with the Buffalo Bills at No. 25.
Last season with the Tigers, Booth tallied three interceptions and five pass breakups in 11 games. NFL Network's Bucky Brooks declared Booth a fit for the Patriots in a recent episode of the Next Pats Podcast.
"He's versatile. And I think for the Patriots, he is the right fit because I think versatility is such a big part of what the Patriots do on defense," Brooks said. ... "He can lock up and play man-to-man, nose-nose, he can bump and run. He can play off and he has great instincts and awareness, route recognition skills, he has terrific ball skills. He can tackle on the edge which is essential to when you're playing zone coverage. ...
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"And so, I just see all of the instincts, the awareness, I see the intelligence, and to me he's a guy you can put right on the field on Day 1 and feel real good about the player you're getting."
Other players the Patriots have hosted or are set to host include: Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning, Miami quarterback D'Eriq King, Houston cornerback Marcus Jones, Stephen F. Austin defensive lineman Rayshad Nichols, and Arizona State cornerback Jack Jones.
The 2022 NFL Draft is set to kick off on April 28.