The Bears have addressed EDGE!
After trading a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for the 144th overall selection (fifth round), the Chicago Bears have selected Austin Booker, defensive end from Kansas.
Booker, a redshirt sophomore, is an inexperienced prospect, but some scouts compare his style to Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. He has good length (6’ 4 1/2’’, 33 7/8’’ arms), but he’ll need to add some to his 240-pound frame. He has a nice array of pass rush moves and is an explosive athlete.
From NFL.com’s scouting report, where they grade him to be eventually a “plus starter.”
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.
We’ll record an immediate reaction podcast about the selection, so check us out right here as soon as it publishes from our 2nd City Gridiron channels.
- Make sure you subscribe to our 2nd City Gridiron Podcast Channel for audio coverage of this year’s draft and all our Bears stuff. We’re available on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Audacy, and other popular podcast platforms.
- Our YouTube home is also called 2nd City Gridiron, so be sure to subscribe there for our pods and other video content.
- WCG Twitter: @WCGridiron
- 2nd City Gridiron Twitter: @2ndCityGridiron
- WCG Facebook Page: Click here to like our page
- 2nd City Gridiron Facebook Page: Click here to like our page
You must be logged in to post a comment Login