Chicago Bears 2024 Draft Grades
Austin Booker Draft Grade: B
Tory Taylor was slated to be the last selection for the Bears in the 2024 draft, but general manager Ryan Poles knew he needed to address the defensive line before the draft ended. That is why the Bears traded a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills to get back in the fifth round and pick at 144. With this selection, the Bears drafted edge rusher Austin Booker from Kansas.
Booker spent his first two years of college at the University of Minnesota as a backup. Then, in 2023, he transferred to the University of Kansas. At Kansas, Booker made a name for himself by gathering 8 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. That production earned him first-team All-Big 12 honors. While at Kansas, Booker's high motor and arm length proved to be a big difference in his game.
Booker has good raw length and power, and he uses it well.
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 27, 2024
He does a good job of locking out blockers from his frame and excels at stacking and shedding in the run game. #Bears pic.twitter.com/clmjBYJvnN
Those intangibles are exactly the things coach Eberflus likes in defensive linemen so it is no surprise Booker was the selection. Hopefully, Booker is able to make a solid impact as a rookie because the Bears need someone to take all the pressure off of Montez Sweat.
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