Chicago Bears rookie analysis: EDGE Austin Booker
The Chicago Bears selected Kansas edge rusher Austin Booker with the 144th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Here’s a quick rundown on Booker:
Height: 6-foot-4 1/2
Weight: 240 pounds
Age: 21
From: Greenwood, Ind.
Breakdown: The Bears finally added a defensive player to their rookie draft class with Booker, 21, who has high upside with his explosiveness, athleticism, length and pass rush talent. In 2023, Booker had nine sacks, eight QB pressures and 12 tackles for loss. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said Booker could have been a late first-round pick next year, if he’d gone back to school. So it certainly feels like Chicago landed a potential steal in Booker in the fifth round. — Alyssa Barbieri
Dane Brugler’s scouting report: “A subpackage player at Kansas, Booker lined up wide of the offensive tackle (two- and three-point stances) in defensive coordinator Brian Borland’s versatile front. After he saw only 23 defensive snaps in his two seasons at Minnesota, Booker transferred to Lawrence for the 2023 season and led the team in sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles, despite coming off the bench (averaged 40.2 snaps per game). Although he is still figuring out how and when to access his bag of tricks, Booker instinctively uses his rangy frame to create various leverage points and surprise blockers with his forceful hands. He is lean in his lower half, but he plays well versus the run to stack, stay balanced through contact and track the football. Overall, Booker is lacking in body mass and overall experience (just 505 career college snaps), but he is an ascending player with the ability to maximize his athletic traits and body length/force with proper biomechanics. With his tools and instincts, he projects as a rotational player in Year 1 with the potential to become an impact starter.”
Lance Zierlein’s scouting report: “Truly unique prospect combining tremendous upside with an extremely limited sample size. A more conservative approach on Booker’s grade might be prudent, but it becomes a difficult route to take when observing his length, explosive athleticism and rush talent. Booker needs to get bigger and stronger, but that will come. The diversity of his rush approach is unheard of for a player with so little playing time. He can stride and dip at the top of the rush or beat tackles back inside with a Euro step or spin counter. He can stab and long-arm tackles into the pocket or stay separated from them at the point of attack. He chases quarterbacks and running backs with agility and burst but can be inconsistent dealing with a downhill running game. His reps against talented Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. could be the springboard to push this gifted edge defender with monster traits up the draft board toward an exciting NFL career.”
They said it: “You turn on the tape & you see everything you need to see… he’s able to win with speed outside, the way he’s able to come underneath w/ the counter & then deceptively one of his best attributes is his ability to win with power.” — Bears scout John Syty
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