Tag: Bears grade

Grading the Bears’ selection of EDGE Austin Booker in fifth round

The Bears traded into the fifth round to select EDGE Austin Booker. Here’s how we graded the pick.

The Chicago Bears made waves when they traded back into the fifth round to select Kansas edge rusher Austin Booker with the 144th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Chicago acquired their original fifth-round selection that they sent to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for offensive lineman Ryan Bates. The Bears traded a 2025 fourth-rounder to the Bills to select Booker, their first defensive player in this draft class.

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.

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

Booker has received NFL comps to Maxx Crosby, who’s an absolute game-wrecker. It certainly helps he’ll have the opportunity to learn from one of the best in Montez Sweat and new Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington, and we could potentially have Sweat and Booker book-ending the edge in the future.

Overall, the Bears made a move for a guy that they believe can develop into a key piece on their defense. While Booker is inexperienced (he has just 505 snap counts, per PFF), his upside is incredibly high and he has the potential to develop into another fifth-round steal for general manager Ryan Poles.

Grade: B+

Grading the Bears’ selection of punter Tory Taylor in fourth round

The Bears drafted the best punter in college football in Iowa’s Tory Taylor. Here’s how we graded the pick.

The Chicago Bears made a splash with the selection of Iowa punter Tory Taylor with the 122nd overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

While the selection came as a surprise, it’s a sneaky good move by general manager Ryan Poles, who landed a weapon in Taylor, who was essentially Iowa’s offense last season.

It also addresses a concern on special teams with two-year starter Trenton Gill, who ranked last in the NFL in net average (28 yards) in 2023.

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Taylor wasn’t just a good college punter, he was the best. He averaged 48.2 yards per punt last season, setting the single-season punting record and won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter.

Sure, Chicago failed to address their most glaring need along the defensive line. But it also speaks to their evaluation of this group as a whole. They weren’t going to select a defensive lineman for the sake of taking one, especially with an impact player like Taylor available to them.

Overall, the Bears landed an impact player in Taylor, who will serve as an asset to Chicago’s defense. It also ends Gill’s starting tenure, where he’s now expected to be a roster cut. The hope is Taylor won’t have to punt too much — as rookie quarterback Caleb Williams told him — but he’ll be a weapon for this team in how he can flip the field with impressive leg strength.

Grade: B