Ex-Bears Scout With Deep Kansas Ties Can’t Believe They Got Austin Booker

The Chicago Bears pulled a rare move in the late stages of the NFL draft when they gave up a future pick in 2024 to jump back into the draft for another player. They’d already used all of their picks by that point. The 4th rounder went to Buffalo in exchange for the 5th rounder, which they originally gave the Bills for veteran guard Ryan Bates. GM Ryan Poles then finally added the one remaining piece he’d failed to acquire up to that point, grabbing Kansas pass rusher Austin Booker.

Many draft experts applauded the pick. The general consensus on Booker was a 3rd round grade, so getting him in the 5th was excellent value. One person who was equally surprised they got him was Greg Gabriel. The former longtime Bears scout revealed on Windy City Gridiron that he’d followed the progress of Booker more closely than most thanks to some strong ties to the program. He was not only shocked that Chicago got the young pass rusher in the 5th but also that they got him at all.

Rightfully, he shouldn’t have been in the draft to begin with.

I probably watched Kansas play more than any other school in 2023. The reason is that KU Head Coach Lance Leipold is a friend, and the backup quarterback was freshman Cole Ballard, the son of good friend Chris Ballard, the Colts General Manager. In watching early KU games, the player on defense who jumped out was Austin Booker. He was a presence, cutting off the edge with his consistent pressure on the quarterback.

After a couple of games, I became interested and did some research. Austin was a redshirt sophomore and a transfer from Minnesota. He had three years of eligibility remaining, including the 2023 season, so it was a surprise he entered the Draft. In fact, the people at Kansas felt in December that there was no way that Booker would leave.

There is no question that Booker is still raw, but he has limitless upside. He has the required height and length, but his frame is lean, and at the Combine only weighed 240. On tape, he showed relentless motor and natural pass-rush skills. For such a young, inexperienced player, he had advanced moves. He also has excellent flexibility to bend and dip when coming off a block and turning into the QB.

Austin Booker has only scratched the surface of his potential.

Think about this. He’s only 21 years old. He doesn’t turn 22 until December. He spent two years trapped on the sideline in Minnesota before transferring to Kansas for the 2023 season. Finally off the leash, he dominated most of the year with eight sacks and 12 tackles for a loss. Players of his experience level shouldn’t be able to do something like that. It usually takes until the second or third year before a pass rusher really starts to blossom. That speaks to Booker’s natural instincts for the position, along with his obvious talent.

The scariest part is the NFL let him fall into the hands of Eric Washington. Chicago’s new defensive coordinator is one of the top defensive line specialists in the league. He has transformed names like Kawann Short, Greg Hardy, Mario Addison, and Ed Oliver into highly productive players. Leonard Floyd, who has a similar body type, just had 10.5 sacks last season under his direction in Buffalo. If Austin Booker is open to strict coaching and has a desire to improve, he could end up being one of the Bears’ biggest steals in a long time.