Chicago Bears Training Camp 2024: Austin Booker’s play impressive

Now that the Chicago Bears practice in pads, the coaches get to see who is real and who is pretending. One player who looks like he is real is defensive end Austin Booker. He impressed in shorts. In pads, he is impressing even more.

Now things are getting exciting for the Chicago Bears. They are five days away from their first preseason game. With that in mind, they have started to practice in pads. That was something everyone was looking forward to. Sure, it is easy to do well in shorts. A lot of players have been impressive.

However, it is something different once the pads come on. Except for the quarterback, players get to hit each other. This is where we see the real players from the pretenders. One player who seems to be a real player is defensive end Austin Booker.

Booker was the Chicago Bears’ fifth-round pick. General Manager Ryan Poles was out of the draft after using his four picks. However, he saw that Booker was still available. He knew he needed to find an edge rusher. The plan was likely to find a veteran who could play for a season and find someone in next year’s draft.

However, seeing Booker still there, Poles decided to go after him. He traded a 2025 fourth-round pick for the Buffalo Bills’ 144th pick. He used that pick on Booker.

Booker is a curious case. He has just 580 total snaps in his college career. He did not look like an inexperienced player on the field, however. In 2023, with the Kansas Jayhawks. he led the team in sacks and tackles for loss. When you see his game film he looks like he is an All-American, ready for the NFL. In fact, many scouts believed if he stayed another year he’d be a sure first-round pick in the 2025 draft.

For now, the NFL Draft’s loss seems like the Chicago Bears’ gain. He could be the draft’s biggest steal. If the scouts are right, the team received a first-round talent for a fourth-round pick. Poles is playing chess while others are playing checkers.

That is looking more clear as training camp progresses. In OTAs and the veteran minicamp, Booker was having a good time. He feasted on the reserve blockers, blowing past them and wreaking havoc in the backfield. When he went up against the starters, he was holding his own and still making some plays.

The coaches looked forward to seeing Booker in pads. Would he still have the quickness to handle the speed of the NFL, and could he avoid getting swallowed by the huge offensive linemen he will face in the league?

Well, so far the answer to that question is yes. With the pads on, he was able to rush the edge and create pressure on quarterback Caleb Williams. He showed off the incredible burst he has off the snap. That was not the most impressive thing he did, though.

Booker showed how good he can rush on the inside as well. He faced J’Tyre Carter. At the snap, he took a quick step on the inside to beat Carter. He was able to beat him and get into the backfield.

Could Booker affect the Chicago Bears’ plans at edge rusher?

The next test, of course, is the preseason games. He should get a long look during games. The Chicago Bears need an edge rusher opposite of Montez Sweat. Without an effective one, opponents will just crowd Sweat, making his path to the quarterback slow.

The talk is loud about the Chicago Bears going after a free-agent edge rusher. Whoever Poles picks up could be a bridge for Booker. However, the way Booker is performing he could end up changing those plans if Poles had them. Poles has already said he is happy with what he has and wants to let the situation play out.

I don’t really see it as a defensive end problem. Our mindset’s always, how can we make a position group the best we can possibly make it and as deep as we possibly can make it.

While the fans clamor for a new face to help the edge rusher situation, Booker could change that talk. Of course, Poles has the inside information on the players. He could know something about Booker that other people don’t know. He could feel that Booker is ready to be in the mix now.

It isn’t like this is something rare for Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus.

Remember, in 2022 they had left tackle Braxton Jones. He was a fifth-round rookie trying to make the team. However, he was impressive in OTAs and the veteran minicamp. Early on in training camp, he forced Teven Jenkins out of the starting job. He took over as the starter and has been there ever since.

Something similar happened with linebacker Jack Sanborn. Sanborn was an undrafted rookie, also in 2022. He worked hard and made the team. He kept making play after play, finding himself near the ball and making stops. His play was so impressive that Poles felt comfortable enough to make him the starter after he traded away Roquan Smith.

Sanborn has been a starter ever since, though he is starting as the SAM, or the strong-side linebacker.

These examples show that Poles and Eberfus are not shy about giving rookies their opportunities. If these rookies show they are capable of performing well, the Chicago Bears will give them their shot. They won’t keep them down just because they are rookies.

Many people consider Austin Booker to be the future of the Chicago Bears’ defense. However, he wants to show that the future for that is now.

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