The Green Bay Packers hosted Kansas edge rusher Austin Booker on a top 30 visit ahead of the 2024 NFL draft, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Teams are allowed to host up to 30 prospects on visits ahead of the draft. Packers Wire is tracking all the reported visits here.
Booker, a transfer from Minnesota, produced 8.0 sacks, 38 pressures, 12 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup over 12 games with Kansas as a redshirt sophomore in 2023. He was on the field for only 482 snaps (only one start) but was a first-team All-Big 12 pick. His entire collegiate experience finished around 500 total snaps.
Booker is expected to meet or visit with at least eight teams before the draft.
Booker (6-4, 244) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.79 seconds, hit 32.5″ in the vertical leap and covered 10-0 in the broad jump. His Relative Athletic Score — without running agilities at the combine — is 7.05. Booker weighed 253 at the Kansas pro day and ran the short shuttle in 4.47 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.28 seconds, per Dane Brugler of The Athletic.
Booker is the No. 77 overall prospect at Pro Football Focus and the No. 86 overall player on the consensus big board, making him a potential Day 2 possibility for the Packers, who hold picks No. 88 and No. 91.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Booker to Maxx Crosby, calling him a “truly unique prospect” with “monster traits.”
The Packers could see Booker as the perfect developmental player at a premium position. Most evaluators see Booker as being capable of adding weight to his frame and continuing his rapid development with added experience on the field. The Packers have Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness as long-term fixtures at edge rusher, but five picks in the top 100 could give Brian Gutekunst a chance to take a chance on a high upside player at a truly valuable position.