Chicago Bears’ newest pass rusher draws comparisons from NFL star Maxx Crosby
The Chicago Bears drafted into the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft to select Kansas defensive end Austin Booker whose draft comparison is NFL star Maxx Crosby. Players at the defensive end position were expected to be thin in today’s rounds of the NFL draft. But Austin Booker who I believed should’ve been taken much higher continued to fall, and the Chicago Bears traded for the pick they once traded themselves to draft him at pick No.144.
There was previous speculation the Chicago Bears would trade up to select a defensive end, and in the fifth round, they did. The Sophomore defensive end had little tape for scouts to judge due to his extremely low total snap count in college. The 21-year-old played six games in his first two seasons at Kansas. But during his third season, he showed his potential leading the team in tackles for loss with 12, and totaling 8 sacks on the season.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein’s comparison for Booker should make Bears fans happy, as he has his NFL comparison as Raiders star Maxx Crosby:
Truly unique prospect combining tremendous upside with an extremely limited sample size. A more conservative approach on Booker’s grade might be prudent, but it becomes a difficult route to take when observing his length, explosive athleticism and rush talent. Booker needs to get bigger and stronger, but that will come.
The diversity of his rush approach is unheard of for a player with so little playing time. He can stride and dip at the top of the rush or beat tackles back inside with a Euro step or spin counter. He can stab and long-arm tackles into the pocket or stay separated from them at the point of attack. He chases quarterbacks and running backs with agility and burst but can be inconsistent dealing with a downhill running game. His reps against talented Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. could be the springboard to push this gifted edge defender with monster traits up the draft board toward an exciting NFL career.
That should be REALLY good news for the Bears. Crosby has developed into one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. He’s recorded 52 career sacks in his career and has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last three seasons with the Raiders.
If Booker is anything like Crosby, it will mean good things for the Bears defense especially already having a pass rusher like Montez Sweat opposite of him. While we have to wait and see how his career plays out, it’s hard not to get excited.
Reasons for excitement and concern for Chicago Bears’ high upside late round pick
The biggest knocks on Austin Booker are his lack of game tape, lack of strength, and size. However, the Chicago Bears will be hopeful that he will be able to grow into that during his time in the NFL. He’s also very young, so he still has plenty of time to develop into an NFL player. His wingspan is an impressive 82 inches, and there’s no question he has pass-rushing talent.
Simply put Austin Booker’s talent is very raw. It may take him some time to be able to compete at a high level in the NFL, but he is a project worth taking on. The defensive end was probably the biggest position of need going into the draft besides quarterback of course. I’d say they filled that hole quite nicely. Taking on young talent like Austin Booker was a great way to add to a productive draft by the Chicago Bears.
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