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In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears became the media darling. General Manager Ryan Poles used his two top-ten picks on quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze. Williams is considered a generational talent and Odunze was one of the three elite receivers in the draft.
Poles added another offensive piece by drafting offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie to help protect Williams. Later, in the fourth round, he went away from offense and drafted punter Tory Taylor. Should the Chicago Bears’ offense sputter at times, Taylor could use his booming leg to flip field position.
With only four picks in the draft, everyone thought the Bears were finished with the draft. Poles had a different idea, however. He traded a 2025 fourth-round pick to get into the fifth round and use one more pick.
That pick was defensive end Austin Booker out of Kansas. With all of the hoopla over Williams and Odunze, the biggest steal of the weekend could end up being Booker.
Booker is a project. He played just 18 career games in college ball. Of those, he had only one start. In total, he had 505 total snaps. Many scouts originally projected him as a third-round pick. When the time came, though, teams were scared away by his lack of experience.
Booker was redshirted in 2021 with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The next season, he played in just 6 games, recording 2 tackles, one for loss. He entered the transfer portal and ended up in Kansas in 2023.
Booker looked incredible with the Jayhawks. He recorded 40 tackles, 12 for loss. Additionally, he had 8 sacks. He added a pass defense and 2 forced fumbles. He did that despite only having one start.
Poles, on the other hand, decided to take a flyer on Booker. He was surprised that Booker was still available so he made a move to bring him in.
The Chicago Bears needed a defensive end. Many thought Poles could use the ninth overall pick on an edge rusher or trade it to acquire more picks so he could use a later pick on one. Poles made a deal, but it was later in the draft.
When looking at Booker on tape, he looks nothing like a guy who has little experience. He is explosive off the snap and has the athleticism to quickly get into the backfield. Also, he has a variety of moves that help him get past blockers. Players with as little experience as Booker has don’t have the number of moves he shows.
Because Booker is a project, the Chicago Bears still have a need at defensive end. However, Poles could sign a veteran to complement the big pickup via trade last season, Montez Sweat. We saw how Sweat transformed...
