Tag: Austin Booker

Bears 2024 minicamp Day 3: Braxton Jones, Nate Davis among those not practicing

The Bears wrapped up their mandatory minicamp on Thursday with a handful of players not participating in team activities.

Mandatory minicamp is officially over for the Chicago Bears as they completed their third and final practice of the week. The Bears had a shorter and lighter practice on Thursday before the veterans break before the summer. A handful of players did not take part in team activities on the field, however.

Offensive tackles Braxton Jones and Kiran Amegadjie and wide receivers Tyler Scott and Dante Pettis missed practice for a second day in a row. Guard Nate Davis was also not participating for the second time this week. Others who were out include cornerback Kyler Gordon, defensive end Austin Booker, and wide receiver Collin Johnson. Bear Report’s Zack Pearson indicates Jones and Gordon were not present at all, while the others were not participating.

Though there were quite a few players not available, head coach Matt Eberflus continued to say it was just precautionary. The Bears veterans won’t be back on the field until sometime in mid-July, while the rookies will take part in one more organized team activity (OTA) next week.

Bears sign EDGE Austin Booker to rookie contract

The Bears signed fifth-round edge rusher Austin Booker to a four-year rookie deal.

The Chicago Bears have signed edge rusher Austin Booker to his four-year rookie contract, the team announced Thursday.

Chicago selected Booker in the fifth round in the 2024 NFL draft. While they originally traded away their fifth-round selection to the Buffalo Bills, they traded back into the draft to land Booker (receiving their original selection from Buffalo).

“You turn on the tape and you see everything you need to see,” Bears scout John Syty said. “I mean, the way this kid wins, the way he’s able to win with speed outside, the way he’s able to come underneath with the counter and then deceptively one of his best attributes is this kid’s ability to win with power.”

Booker has a rather limited sample size having played just one full season (with one start) at Kansas. But he has high upside with explosiveness, athleticism, length and pass rush talent that makes him a really appealing developmental prospect in Matt Eberflus’ defense.

Booker is the third member of Chicago’s five-player 2024 draft class to sign his rookie contract. The team previously signed punter Tory Taylor and offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie to their rookie deals.

Chicago Bears’ best sleeper pick: Austin Booker, EDGE, Kansas

Kansas rookie edge-rusher Austin Booker could be a surprise star for the Chicago Bears’ defense.

Bears fans who were over the moon with the picks of Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze in the first round might have cooled a bit when their team selected an offensive tackle and a punter with their remaining two picks. What about the need at edge-rusher? Well, general manager Ryan Poles apparently had similar concerns, so the Bears traded back into the fifth round and took Kansas edge defense Austin Booker with the 144th overall pick.

Last season for the Jayhawks, Booker had nine sacks and 38 total pressures, and though he’s a smaller man for the position (6′ 4½’, 240), his speed off the edge speaks volumes, and it will be accentuated over time with a more complete palette of pass-rush moves.

Bears DE Austin Booker has connected with Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby

The Bears rookie has already been compared to Maxx Crosby. Now, he’s connected with the Raiders Pro Bowl edge rusher.

The comparisons between Chicago Bears rookie edge rusher Austin Booker and Las Vegas Raiders Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby have been evident for a bit. Booker, who was selected by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, was compared to the star pass rusher coming out of school by NFL analyst Lance Zierlein. What’s more, he’s now coached by Travis Smith, who was with the Raiders when they selected Crosby in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Smith has been the Bears defensive line coach since the 2022 season.

Those comparisons and coaching connections only made it that much more likely that Booker and Crosby would connect in some way at some point in time. It turns out that has already happened.

Booker met the media on Saturday following Day 2 of the Bears rookie minicamp and revealed he and Crosby have communicated. “We train in the offseason with the same guy, Javon Gopie, and he just connected us,” Booker said. “He called me after I got drafted, just letting me know I can reach out whenever I have a question or any type of thing like that because he obviously has a great process how he does things because he’s able to compete at a high level. Having that resource has just been great.”

Crosby and Booker both came into the NFL as mid-round picks with long, yet slim, frames for defensive ends. The Raiders star was able to hone his craft and become one of the best edge rushers in the last couple years, totaling 27 sacks and 45 tackles for loss since 2022.

Of course, it’s not fair to expect the same from Booker, but having Crosby as a sounding board on how to adapt to the NFL game will only benefit the rookie. Booker is a raw prospect who had just one year of production in college. He totaled eight sacks and 12 tackles for a loss in 12 games for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Having Crosby as someone he can communicate with, along with his new teammates like Montez Sweat and DeMarcus Walker, should only help Booker’s development as he gets going. If Booker can even have a fraction of Crosby’s production, this will turn out to be a solid pick for general manager Ryan Poles.

WATCH: Highlights from 2024 Bears rookie minicamp

The Bears conducted rookie minicamp this weekend. Here’s a look at some official highlights, including Caleb Williams.

The Chicago Bears conducted rookie minicamp this weekend, where they welcomed their five-man draft class, nine-player undrafted rookie free agent class and a handful of tryout players to the practice field at Halas Hall.

Quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze were the main attractions during Friday and Saturday’s practices — although Odunze sat out the final day due to hamstring tightness.

The Bears social account shared some quick highlights from this weekend’s rookie minicamp practices:

The Bears will be back on the practice field for the start of organized team activities, which kick off next week. The practices will be conducted May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29 and May 31.

Bears rookie minicamp: Photos of Caleb Williams in action on Day 2

The Bears concluded rookie minicamp on Saturday. Check out these photos of Caleb Williams and others in action.

The Chicago Bears concluded rookie minicamp on Saturday, where their five-player draft class, nine-player undrafted rookie free agent class and a handful of tryout players practiced at Halas Hall.

That included Chicago’s star quarterback-wide receiver duo in Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, who were the big focus this weekend. While Odunze was held out of Saturday’s practice with hamstring tightness, Williams showed off his deep ball in the final workout of the weekend.

Here are photos from Saturday’s rookie minicamp practice:

Bears graded as second-best 2024 NFL draft class

NFL.com ranked the Bears’ 2024 draft class as the second best with a solid A grade.

The Chicago Bears welcomed five new rookies to the roster during the 2024 NFL draft, a group that general manager Ryan Poles called an “impact” class.

That started with the selections of quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze at first and ninth overall, respectively. That alone made Chicago winners, but then they also added some potential steals in offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie and edge rusher Austin Booker along with a generational punter in Tory Taylor.

NFL.com ranked the Bears’ draft class as the second best (behind only the Pittsburgh Steelers) with a solid A grade.

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. And to Bears GM Ryan Poles’ credit, he made his own luck by acquiring said pick from Carolina in a pre-draft trade last year. Furthermore, Chicago’s brain trust laid the foundation for Caleb to make a smooth transition into the NFL. Supported by a defense that’s infinitely more dependable than anything he experienced at USC, the preternaturally gifted passer is also surrounded by a cadre of weapons at running back (D’Andre Swift and Khalil Herbert), receiver (DJ Moore and Keenan Allen) and tight end (Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett). Oh, and eight picks after drafting Williams, the Bears snatched up Rome Odunze, a big-bodied playmaker who was the third wideout off the board in this class but would’ve been WR1 in many previous drafts.

General manager Ryan Poles went offensive-heavy with his first three selections — landing a potential generational quarterback and elite wide receiver in the first round. He also added a potential starting left tackle adding more depth to the offensive line.

While the Taylor selection came as a surprise, the Bears view him as a weapon who can flip the field and be a game-changer. Chicago regarded Booker highly enough to trade back into the draft and land him in the fifth round, when many believed he could be a first-round selection next year, had he returned to school.

We won’t be available to truly evaluate this draft class for a few years. But it certainly looks like, at first glance, that Poles landed an impact draft class.

Austin Booker dubbed Bears’ best sleeper pick in 2024 NFL draft

Rookie edge rusher Austin Booker could wind up being a late-round steal for the Bears.

The Chicago Bears welcomed five new rookies during the 2024 NFL draft, including most notably an elite quarterback-wide receiver duo in Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze.

But they also had some underrated selections who could emerge as playmakers down the line.

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar singled out the best sleeper pick for every team, and he landed on Kansas edge rusher Austin Booker, who Chicago traded back into the NFL draft to select in the fifth round.

Bears fans who were over the moon with the picks of Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze in the first round might have cooled a bit when their team selected an offensive tackle and a punter with their remaining two picks. What about the need at edge-rusher? Well, general manager Ryan Poles apparently had similar concerns, so the Bears traded back into the fifth round and took Kansas edge defense Austin Booker with the 144th overall pick.

Last season for the Jayhawks, Booker had nine sacks and 38 total pressures, and though he’s a smaller man for the position (6′ 4½’, 240), his speed off the edge speaks volumes, and it will be accentuated over time with a more complete palette of pass-rush moves.

Booker has a limited sample size having played just one full season (with one start) at Kansas. But he has high upside with explosiveness, athleticism, length and pass rush talent that makes him a really appealing developmental prospect in Matt Eberflus’ defense.

It certainly helps that Booker will have the opportunity to learn from one of the best in Montez Sweat and new Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington, who should help get the most out of Booker.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said during the NFL draft broadcast that Booker could have been a late first-round pick next year, if he’d gone back to school. So it certainly feels like Chicago landed a potential steal in Booker in the fifth round.

Chicago Bears rookie analysis: EDGE Austin Booker

The Bears selected edge rusher Austin Booker with the 144th pick in the NFL draft. Here’s a quick rundown on Booker:

The Chicago Bears selected Kansas edge rusher Austin Booker with the 144th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Here’s a quick rundown on Booker:

Height: 6-foot-4 1/2
Weight: 240 pounds
Age: 21
From: Greenwood, Ind.

Breakdown: The Bears finally added a defensive player to their rookie draft class with Booker, 21, who has high upside with his explosiveness, athleticism, length and pass rush talent. In 2023, Booker had nine sacks, eight QB pressures and 12 tackles for loss. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said Booker could have been a late first-round pick next year, if he’d gone back to school. So it certainly feels like Chicago landed a potential steal in Booker in the fifth round. — Alyssa Barbieri

Dane Brugler’s scouting report: “A subpackage player at Kansas, Booker lined up wide of the offensive tackle (two- and three-point stances) in defensive coordinator Brian Borland’s versatile front. After he saw only 23 defensive snaps in his two seasons at Minnesota, Booker transferred to Lawrence for the 2023 season and led the team in sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles, despite coming off the bench (averaged 40.2 snaps per game). Although he is still figuring out how and when to access his bag of tricks, Booker instinctively uses his rangy frame to create various leverage points and surprise blockers with his forceful hands. He is lean in his lower half, but he plays well versus the run to stack, stay balanced through contact and track the football. Overall, Booker is lacking in body mass and overall experience (just 505 career college snaps), but he is an ascending player with the ability to maximize his athletic traits and body length/force with proper biomechanics. With his tools and instincts, he projects as a rotational player in Year 1 with the potential to become an impact starter.”

Lance Zierlein’s scouting report: “Truly unique prospect combining tremendous upside with an extremely limited sample size. A more conservative approach on Booker’s grade might be prudent, but it becomes a difficult route to take when observing his length, explosive athleticism and rush talent. Booker needs to get bigger and stronger, but that will come. The diversity of his rush approach is unheard of for a player with so little playing time. He can stride and dip at the top of the rush or beat tackles back inside with a Euro step or spin counter. He can stab and long-arm tackles into the pocket or stay separated from them at the point of attack. He chases quarterbacks and running backs with agility and burst but can be inconsistent dealing with a downhill running game. His reps against talented Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. could be the springboard to push this gifted edge defender with monster traits up the draft board toward an exciting NFL career.”

They said it: “You turn on the tape & you see everything you need to see… he’s able to win with speed outside, the way he’s able to come underneath w/ the counter & then deceptively one of his best attributes is his ability to win with power.” — Bears scout John Syty

RAS card

Highlights  

Dane Brugler believes Bears had the best NFL draft class

There’s no denying the Bears were among the biggest winners following the 2024 NFL draft.

The Chicago Bears welcomed five new rookies to the roster during the 2024 NFL draft, a group that prompted general manager Ryan Poles to call this an “impact” draft.

That starts with the selection of quarterback Caleb Williams at first overall, giving Chicago their best quarterback prospect maybe ever. But then the Bears also managed to snag an elite wide receiver in Rome Odunze at ninth overall, pairing this young quarterback and receiver together for the foreseeable future.

Chicago then shored up key positions along the offensive line with tackle Kiran Amegadjie (Round 3), pass rush with Austin Booker (Round 5) and even landed a generational punter in Tory Taylor (Round 4).

Draft experts agree that the Bears were among the biggest winners following the draft, and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler actually ranked them higher than any other group.

Brugler’s favorite draft pick was, of course, Williams — although he did also consider Odunze. Amegadjie also got a shout-out.

Obviously, teams with multiple early-round picks have a decided advantage for this exercise over those with fewer selections. But the Bears aren’t No. 1 merely because they had two top-10 picks. They’re here because of what they did with those picks — and I went back and forth on my “favorite” between Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze. The answer, though, has to be the quarterback who can be a franchise-changing player for Chicago. I am also a fan of third-round OT Kiran Amegadjie, who has the talent to be Chicago’s left tackle of the future.

As for a player he believes could surprise, Brugler singled out Booker, who Chicago traded back into the draft to land as a piece of their defensive line.

Chicago only had two Day 3 choices, and I’m not going to pick the punter (Tory Taylor). The Bears used a 2025 fourth-round pick to trade back into this draft (at No. 144) and scoop up Booker, who easily could have been drafted on Day 2. Although he isn’t ready for a meaningful role as a rookie, Booker has the promising pass-rush savvy to be a steal when we look back at this selection in two or three years.

When looking at this 2024 draft class, the Bears landed two elite prospects in the top 10 to help take their offense to the next level. Adding Williams and Odunze to a group that already includes playmakers like DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift and Cole Kmet was a slam dunk.

Even with the addition of Booker, there are still some concerns about the defensive line. Will DeMarcus Walker and Booker prove to be a viable tandem opposite Montez Sweat? Is it Gervon Dexter’s time to shine at three-technique? Will they add another edge rusher and/or defensive tackle?

There are still moves to be made this offseason. But it’s shaping up to be a promising year.