Patriots draft profile: Austin Booker’s potential may outweigh small sample size

New England held Booker on a 30 visit.

The offensive side of the ball should certainly take priority for the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft. That said, their needs extend into the defensive side as well.

Perhaps one of the under-the-radar positions they might want to address is along the edge. While they retained Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings in free agency — and drafted Keion White last offseason — the future of the position is bit murky. Both Uche and Matthew Judon are entering contract years and the rest of the group lacks pure pass rushing ability.

That brings us to Kansas’ Austin Booker, who had a breakout season for the Kansas Jayhawks that could result in his name being called in the third or fourth round of this year’ draft.

Hard facts

Name: Austin Booker

Position: Edge rusher

School: University of Kansas (via transfer of Minnesota)

Opening day age: 21 (12/14/2002)

Measurements: 6’4 1/2”, 240 pounds, 9 1/4” hand size, 33 7/8” arm length, 81 3/8” wingspan, 7.05 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Career statistics: 18 games (1 start) | 505 defensive snaps, 60 special teams snaps | 40 total pressures (8 sacks, 3 QB hits, 28 hurries), 39 tackles, 34 run stops, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass deflection

Accolades: First Team All-Big 12 (2023), Big 12 Newcomer of the Year (2023)

A football, basketball, and discus thrower in high school, Booker was a three-star recruit who originally committed to Minnesota. After redshirting in 2021, Booker appeared in just six games and totaled 23 defensive snaps year two. His limited role led to him entering the transfer portal where he enrolled at the University of Kansas.

With the Jayhawks, Booker saw an increased role as a sub rusher and flashed his ability. He led the team in sacks (8.0), tackles for loss (12.0) and forced fumbles (2) as he was named First-Team All Big-12 and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. Booker than declared for the NFL Draft despite having one year remaining of eligibility and accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl

Draft profile

Expected round: 3-4 | Consensus big board: No. 83 | Patriots meeting: 30 visit

Strengths: Despite a mediocre performance at the Combine, Booker is an athletic rusher off the edge with twitchy movements. He can dip around the corner and has an impressive pass rush repertoire for a player with little experience at the position.

Booker’s length — which features a 6’4” frame with nearly 34” arms — and hand work also makes him a challenge along the edge with his stabs and arm counters. His length also shines with his tackling range and ability to defend screens and plays outside.

Booker’s flexibility and athletic traits also help him in the run game — where he is a willing defender — as he can slip blocks and make plays in the backfield. His 34 run stops last season ranked 14th among all college edge defenders.

Weaknesses: Playing only 505 career defensive snaps translates to the game field at times for Booker as he is still learning how to unleash his full bag of pass rush tricks. He could also benefit from a more disciplined approach as he missed 12 tackles last season and was called for four penalties (including roughing the passer and targeting).

Booker’s weight will also be worth monitoring as he was up from 240 pounds to 253 pounds at his Pro Day weigh-in. He would benefit from added mass to increase his play strength.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? As Booker’s lack of experience shows on tape, he likely is headed towards a rotational role in year one. He’d slot in nicely as a third pass rusher behind Matthew Judon and Josh Uche as he continues to round out his game and add weight to his frame.

What is his growth potential? With both Uche and Judon in contract years, the hope is Booker can continue his upward trajectory with more experience along the edge. Based off the flashes he’s shown in limited opportunities, Booker has the makings of an impact starting pass rusher.

Does he have positional versatility? Booker played roughly 40 snaps per game for the Jayhawks as a sub rusher, most often lining out wide of offensive tackles. That’s the role he projects to continue to fill at the next level.

Why the Patriots? Edge rusher is a sneaky need for New England this offseason as their top two aforementioned pure pass rushers are in contract years. Booker would give them a developmental player who could potentially replace Uche as an athletic rusher who projects better against the run.

Why not the Patriots? With such a limited sample size of game tape and experience, Booker may be viewed as a serious project and risk by many teams. And as a projected third- to fourth-round pick, New England may have other needs to prioritize first.

One-sentence verdict: While the sample size is small, Booker’s potential makes him an intriguing and worthy investment along the edge.

What do you think about Austin Booker as a potential Patriots target? Too good to pass up? Or just not worth it given the issues elsewhere? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.