3 Bears Starters Who Lost Their Jobs in the NFL Draft
2. Demarcus Walker: Defensive End
The defensive line has numerous holes due to the uncertainty and development of players. The only sure thing is Montez Sweat.
Outside of Sweat, there is no long-term solution at the edge. Demarcus Walker is a reliable player who can be a terrific rotational piece, but lacks upside. Several players signed in the offseason aren't great options, and Dominique Robinson is on the verge of losing his roster spot.
Enter Austin Booker. He is an edge-rusher, selected in the 5th round out of the University of Kansas. The Bears gave up a future-round pick to get him.
Many experts had Booker graded as a 3rd-round talent. So essentially, the Bears got a steal and great value for him. The skill and athleticism are there. He has the tools and fits everything in a prototypical lineman the Bears want.
Here’s Austin Booker’s RAS grade. He’s light but lengthy, quick off the ball and explosive in his lower half.
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 27, 2024
He had an 82.2 PFF grade with an 88.2 pass-rush grade on true pass sets.
His 10.2% runs top rate and 14.8% pass-rush win rate were among the best in the class. #Bears pic.twitter.com/nvRFrmHRAe
With the lack of quality depth at the edge position, expect Booker to receive plenty of opportunities to earn a starting spot this season, which would push Walker into a more rotational role.
3. Trenton Gill: Punter
When the Bears selected a punter in the fourth round, which required valuable draft capital, you knew Trenton Gill was the odd man out. The numbers Gill had last year showed how inconsistent and poor he was.
There is going to be no punter competition. It is only going to be one man. Tory Taylor is the new Bears punter.
Fans question the idea of selecting a punter that early in the draft. However, Ryan Poles had limited draft capital this year and alluded to it in his post-draft press conference that he has never seen a punter like Taylor.
He is a generational talent who helped a University of Iowa football team win some games. Taylor provided some outstanding field position, which would be great for the Bears' defense.
What affected the Bears the most last season was the terrible field position and a less-than-potent offense that couldn't score much. It leaves the defense tired and in shambles. With Taylor, expect the Bears to be in a promising field position anytime the offense doesn't record a score.
New Bears punter Tory Taylor is a superstar
— BFR Podcast (@bfr_pod) April 27, 2024
pic.twitter.com/Y0d3MAmnXr
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