Ryan Poles said he might do it less than 24 hours ago. If the right player happened to fall on Day 3, there was a chance the Chicago Bears might trade back into the draft. Sure enough, that is exactly how it played out. The Bears sent a 4th round pick in 2025 to the Buffalo Bills for Chicago’s original 5th round pick they gave away for Ryan Bates. Poles then used the selection on gifted Kansas edge rusher Austin Booker, whom many experts gave a 3rd round grade. Just like that, the Bears have addressed every position of need. What a weekend.
Booker fits the Bears’ profile. He’s 6’4 with 34-inch arms and showcases explosive athleticism. Despite only one year as a full-time starter, he still managed eight sacks for Kansas and clearly has natural instincts for the job. He is far from a polished product, which makes him all the more terrifying. The Bears will be putting him in the hands of Eric Washington, one of the NFL’s best defensive line specialists. If anybody can unlock what Booker is capable of, it’s him.
He landed arguably the best quarterback and punter in the class, respectively. He also landed the #2 wide receiver. On top of all that, he secured an athletically gifted left tackle prospect in the 3rd round and now an athletically gifted pass rusher in the 5th. All of that comes while still having three picks in the first two rounds next year. This has been an outstanding process to watch unfold for the Bears GM. Every move he has made for the past two months has been deliberate and logical.
This team is poised to do big things in the near future. Ryan Poles had a vision and has executed it beautifully. The Bears have talent everywhere. Each position group has at least one player capable of making a Pro Bowl. It is also one of the NFL’s youngest rosters, so the room for growth is astronomical. If Booker progresses as hoped, that defense will be an even bigger problem than it already is. To say nothing of what the offense might do to people presuming Williams plays like the #1 pick he is.
