Philadelphia Eagles: First Round Eve 7-round Mock Draft

… I know, I know; this pick isn’t a wide receiver.

To some, this is sacrilege, but I’m a firm believer that the 2022 NFL Draft Class is much deeper at starting-caliber wide receiver than cornerback, and since the cornerback is the much harder position to play at a high level, selecting one in the first round gives a team a better opportunity to secure a Day 1 starter than Day 2.

Of the options still on the board at 18, which is everyone minus Derek Stingley Jr., Sauce Gardner, and Trent McDuffie, there isn’t a better corner on the board than Andrew Booth Jr. out of Clemson.

He’s got good size at 6-foot, 200 pounds, is an aggressive tackler, and makes some of the more spectacular plays on the ball that you’ll see in this year’s draft class. While he didn’t run at the combine due to a quad strain, his tape showcases a player who is plenty fast, and despite a lack of collegiate experience playing man coverage, he should be able to cover any route offensive coordinators throw his way relatively early in his career.

Will some call Booth a reach at 18? Sure. Do some folks prefer Kaiir Elam or even Kyler Gordon? Yes as well, but for my proverbial money, Booth is the guy I want to see lined up opposite Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox in Week 1.