The Bears’ fifth-round edge rusher has a proven track record of beating the Packers’ new first-round tackle
With the selection of Austin Booker in round five, the Chicago Bears 2024 NFL draft is finally in the books. From a historic first day to some high-value late-round snags, this draft is looking to be one of the best in Bears history.
Kansas linebacker/defensive edge Austin Booker is the early favorite for Bears “steal” of the draft. Booker’s sample size is limited, but he has enormous upside and potential. One big sample from his college career comes from the Senior Bowl. At the Senior Bowl, Booker was filmed dominating Jordan Morgan, the Packers’ new offensive tackle.
The video of Booker crushing Morgan is embedded below:
Austin Booker Vs Packers first round pick Jordan Morgan at the Senior bowl. pic.twitter.com/nMI6Ci85wY
— ImBearingDown (@ImBearingDown) April 27, 2024
Many people online think the Packers reached on their first round selection, Jordan Morgan. If the clip above tells us anything, it’s that the talk might be right. Morgan gets schooled by Booker, a future fifth-round draft selection. A player who would get drafted to a division rival, one he will have to face twice a year.
Austin Booker (240 LBS) is much smaller than Jordan Morgan (311 LBS), yet Booker easily gets the upper hand in the clip. Look for repeat performances of this play if both players start in 2024.
Drafting players who already know how to beat Packers is a big thing. While the Lions may be the best team in the division, the Packers are the thorn. The Bears, despite their best efforts, cannot beat the Packers. 2024 is looking like that could change.
Austin Booker’s “Shades of Crosby”
NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein listed Maxx Crosby as Austin Booker’s pro-comp. That is fantastic news for Bears fans. Having a fifth round draft pick be compared to one of the leagues best defensive ends is incredible value. Crosby himself wasn’t highly rated coming out of college.
Crosby fell all the way to the fourth round in 2019. Since then, Crosby has been on an absolute tear in the NFL. If he keeps up his elite production for a few more years, he may be Canton material.
Zierlein points out Booker has a lack of strength, especially in run play scenarios. This should be fixable with access to an NFL strength and conditioning coach. With a bit of conditioning, and coaching, Booker should be able to develop into a star on the Bears defensive line.
Austin Booker win’s a majority of his battles with strong hand play and slippery speed. If Booker gets a step, even on bigger offensive linemen, he is hard to slow down. Booker only fell so far in the draft because of his microscopic sample size from college.
If Booker even becomes a fraction of the player Crosby is, that’s a massive win for the Bears. With Montez Sweat locked up, the Bears have a young defensive edge that has the chance to thrive. Booker won’t have the entire weight of the Bears pass rush on his shoulders. Sweat will help take some of that pressure off Booker. Setting Booker up to ease his way into his role as an NFL edge rusher.
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