The Chicago Bears appeared done with the 2024 NFL draft after the 4th round. They’d selected Iowa punter Tory Taylor. No picks remained. It wasn’t a big class, but many felt it still had a chance to have a major impact. They didn’t know GM Ryan Poles had other plans. As far back as the 3rd round, he was playing out the board as he felt it would fall. If the Bears managed to get Taylor in the 4th round, they would start working the phones to see if they could jump back into the draft to grab Kansas edge rusher Austin Booker.
Thankfully, it played out exactly as hoped. Taylor landed in their lap, so the Bears searched for a taker on the trade market. Buffalo finally bit and accepted a 4th in 2025 for a 5th this year. Chicago jumped back into the draft and got their guy. Booker had been a breakout star for the Jayhawks in 2023, notching eight sacks and 12 tackles for a loss. They cited his size, length, and athleticism as key factors in the decision to draft him. However, Kansas defensive ends coach Taiwo Onatolu told Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune there was likely a different reason.
If you turn on the film, one thing he does is he plays hard and he plays with a motor. The No. 1 thing for a coach, especially a defensive line coach: All the great (players), they have a relentless motor. They’re playing like their hair is on fire. They’re playing at a different pace.
When you turn on the film of any game, you’ll never see him loafing or having a lack of effort. He has always played hard and a lot of his stats come from second-effort plays. Rarely did he just come off the ball and get a sack. He was always getting chipped or doubled. But it was the second, third effort that got him that production. That’s one of his greatest talents, besides just his natural physical ability, is his motor. He’s really, really relentless.
Remember what head coach Matt Eberflus always harps on. You need to play with 100% effort and intensity at all times. Those are the first two keys. Booker’s own coach confirms he is like that on every play in every game. Such a mentality served Kansas well in some key games last season. Booker’s pressure on Dillon Gabriel in the final seconds secured a big upset win over Oklahoma. He had a sack, two tackles for a loss, and a forced fumble against Central Florida. He even had a good game against Texas. The opponent didn’t matter.
One thing Austin Booker showed everybody was the understanding that blocking him would require 60 minutes of non-stop effort. If you relaxed for even one play, he was going to make you pay for it. That is what the Bears wanted. Talent is great. Yet the best sack artists always have that extra juice to bring it one every play. There are no snaps off. If the Bears can get his development to a point where he has a full arsenal of moves at his disposal, he might become a long-term fixture on defense.
