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.
The @ChicagoBears got Kansas EDGE Austin Booker in the fifth round (and traded back into the draft to do it). Booker needs more of a pass-rush plan, but he's already got some bull-rush and inside counter moves to match with his obvious speed and bend around the edge. pic.twitter.com/VNJpxsCRiI
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) May 1, 2024