Austin Booker arrived with little fanfare in April this year. The Chicago Bears traded back into the 5th round of the draft to grab the Kansas edge rusher. Experts saw him as an intriguing talent in need of lots of work. He was considered light at 240 lbs and only started one season in college. It would probably take at least a year before he was deemed ready to play. Fast forward a few months and the rookie is by far the biggest surprise of August, posting seven pressures and three sacks in 50 pass rush reps across three preseason games. His athleticism wasn’t the big surprise. It’s the arsenal of moves he’s shown. Even new teammate Montez Sweat admitted that the rookie has exceeded expectations.
It isn’t just the natural talent that stands out. Booker’s ability to learn fast is what many at Halas Hall are so excited about this year.
“He’s a tremendous talent. Really light years ahead of where a rookie should be. I’m excited for the year and what he brings to the table…
…He’s starting to notice how guys block him. He’s trying out new moves and he’s just learning the defense and learning how to move faster within it. Real big leaps from him.”
Montez Sweat understands what Booker is going through.
After all, he endured the same difficult transition to the NFL. The difference was he came with much higher expectations as a 1st round pick in Washington. He had seven sacks as a rookie. Fortunately for him, Montez Sweat had some excellent mentors at the time, including Ryan Kerrigan and Jonathan Allen. Their advice allowed him to hit the ground running that first year. It appears the same is happening with Booker. Getting a chance to learn from a Pro Bowler like Sweat is incredibly valuable, not to mention necessary. The Bears don’t have a definitive #2 edge rusher. Demarcus Walker is more of a hybrid option. Dominique Robinson hasn’t shown much. Jacob Martin has been hurt. Booker seems like the only one who has stepped up. He appears ready for the opportunity.
There were concerns about Austin Booker’s experience and lower weight coming out of college. Scouts deemed him a “project” making him drop into the later rounds where Poles grabbed him. Booker has already surprised many with his skills. He could be the steal of the 2024 Draft.
Wouldn’t it be interesting if Booker follows a path similar to Richard Dent who came out of college weighing just 215 pounds and developed into one of the most feared DEs ever?
Big Gerv is the spark plug. We have to disrupt the snap and control the interior. We need to put the opposing QB under duress from the time of the snap until they are traded to Pittsburgh.
I admit being eager to see Austin versus Kiran in practice, someday.
I am very excited about Booker. I was seriously afraid we’d leave the draft with no DE for the future. Booker was a nice prospect though kinda light weight at this point.
Still, he’s a great choice and I think everyone is glad to have him. It’s a spark needed for the D-Line and adds competition all the way around. When he comes in next year it should be primo. Defense is looking good- just gotta stay healthy.