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Breaking: Chicago Bears’ Genius Draft Move Set to Shame NFL Rivals! You Won’t Believe What They’ve Pulled Off
One of the Chicago Bears’ late-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, according to Pro Football Focus, has the potential to have a “instant impact” in the league.
Austin Booker, a Kansas edge rusher, was selected by Chicago in the late round of the draft. On Monday, PFF highlighted a number of late-round players who are expected to have an immediate impact in the NFL.
Booker was chosen by the Bears in the fifth round of the current draft.
PFF: Booker, who is ranked 88th on PFF’s big board, slipped all the way to the fifth round, which was startling. But the Jayhawk pass-rusher was taken by the Bears at 144th overall after they traded back up to end his decline. In addition to his remarkable stats (6 feet 4 inches, 240 pounds, and barely 21 years old), Booker had excellent output in Lawrence. In just 237 pass-rush snaps, Booker recorded 38 pressures, 9 sacks, and 25 run stops.
Despite having only played 505 career snaps between Kansas and Minnesota, Booker has a lot of promise that might be realized in Chicago. The Bears continue to look for backup edge rushers to play alongside standout Montez Sweat, particularly after finishing last season ranked 32nd in team pass-rush grade.
If Booker defeats seasoned competitors like Dominique Robinson or Jacob Martin, don’t be startled.
Booker began his collegiate career at Minnesota before moving to Kansas. He is an Indiana native and was a three-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class.
Booker saw little action in his two seasons at Minnesota, totaling just two tackles in his two years with the Gophers.
In contrast, Booker had a standout year in his one season at Kansas, finishing the previous season with the Jayhawks with a total of 12 tackles for loss and eight sacks in 12 games.
Booker seems to be a player who, as a draft prospect, went rather unnoticed. Although he is only 21 years old (he won’t turn 22 until December), the former Kansas standout has produced at a high level and has had to put in a lot of work to establish himself as a football player.
These characteristics imply that Booker ought to blend well in with Matt Eberflus’ society. An added plus is that Booker was raised only three hours south of Chicago.
By allowing Booker to progress all the way to the fifth round, the rest of the NFL failed to deliver. Though he might not be as well-known as some of the other edge rushers in this class, he still fits the Bears’ needs perfectly.
If Booker contributes significantly to Chicago’s defense this autumn, it wouldn’t be shocking. Should that prove to be the case, many general managers in the league will have to defend their decision to pass on Austin Booker to his individual owners.
