Philadelphia Eagles: 3 more cornerbacks worth a first round grade

The 2022 NFL Draft has a clear hierarchy when it comes to cornerbacks.

Unlike in years past, where there was a clear CB1 and class of starting-caliber performers following close behind, the 2022 class has two premier cornerbacks – Derek Stingley and Sauce Gardner –  who could hear their names called before the Philadelphia Eagles take the clock at 15 with a third, Trent McDuffie, potentially gone too if a team like the Houston Texans or Baltimore Ravens see a role for him in their scheme.

For a team like the Birds, who are in pretty desperate need of a CB2 who can come into town and immediately make an impact as a rookie, this isn’t ideal, but hey, just because the top two/three corners in the class might be gone before Howie Roseman has a chance to pick ’em doesn’t mean there won’t be more than a few promising options still left on the board if that’s the route the team wants to go. With two first-round picks to play with, this might prove to be a perfect opportunity for Philly to come through, pick a performer that fits Jonathan Gannon’s scheme, and hope for the best.

Fortunately, there are three more cornerbacks who could very well hear their names called on the first day of the 2022 NFL Draft, maybe even by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Here are three more cornerbacks the Philadelphia Eagles could target at pick 18.

If Derek Stingley and Sauce Gardner are off the board, and Trent McDuffie proves too incompatible with Jonathan Gannon’s scheme, the easiest player to project into the Philadelphia Eagles is Andrew Booth, the former five-star prospect who spent the last three seasons playing cornerback for the Clemson Tigers.

Measuring in at an even 6-foot, 200 pounds, Booth is a textbook example of a do-it-all perimeter cornerback who can play either side of the field, play on or off coverage, and produce in a man or zone coverage. While he was largely used as a zone corner at Clemson, he pressed at the line of scrimmage fairly often and has the length needed to play the man concepts call at the NFL level.

While he didn’t run at the combine due to a core muscle injury, Booth did log a 76.875-inch wingspan, which ranks in the 71st percentile according to Mockdraftable, and 9.375-inch hands, which rank in the 69th percentile. Those measurables should serve him well at the pro level, as should his extensive collegiate experience facing off against many a future NFL wide receiver over his 25 games in South Carolina.

If the Eagles are looking for a cornerback with big-game experience, five career interceptions, and extensive experience in zone coverage, Booth very well may be one of the higher names on their board.