The Chicago Bears got universal praise for what they did at the top of the 2024 draft. GM Ryan Poles took the consensus top quarterback among most experts in Caleb Williams. Then he turned around at #9 overall and grabbed stud wide receiver Rome Odunze, who himself ranked in the top five among all draft prospects. Those two should be able to grow together for years to come. However, the strength of a draft always depends on how well you do outside of the 1st round. That would prove a challenge for Poles.
After that, he only had two picks left, one in the 3rd and one in the 4th. Those became Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie and Iowa punter Tory Taylor. Both are highly talented prospects who can be a big help to the Bears, but neither generated much excitement from fans. That changed when Poles pulled a surprise, giving up a 4th round pick in 2025 to Buffalo for the 144th pick in the 5th round. Here he finally addressed the last remaining need on the roster, scooping Kansas pass rusher Austin Booker. Not only did fans love it, but so did experts. Matt Miller of ESPN called it one of the biggest steals of the draft.
Miller: Austin Booker, EDGE, to the Bears (No. 144). Turn on Booker’s tape from games against Illinois or Texas and you’d think the Bears drafted him in the second or third round. The issue is he wasn’t consistent and logged just 505 snaps in his college career. The Bears are betting on his developmental upside at a position of need. Booker (No. 87 overall for me) can learn from Montez Sweat in a great situation for his NFL acclimation after finishing last season with eight sacks for Kansas.
Going into 2024, he aimed to fortify the roster enough to make the Bears competitive this season. All signs indicate he has done this. The defense has a great secondary, good linebackers, and a solid rotation along the defensive line. They even upgraded at defensive coordinator with the arrival of Eric Washington. Yet it’s the offense that is the star of the show. Williams and Odunze join a group that saw other recent arrivals like Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift, and Gerald Everett. On paper, it is the deepest and most talented unit they’ve fielded in a decade.
Shane Waldron is the man who conducts it all. He came over after three productive years in Seattle and has learned from Sean McVay, Matt Lafleur, Bill Belichick, and Pete Carroll. This entire setup must be credited to Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus. They had the vision to see this through, never wavering despite numerous hiccups along the way. Now, they have a completely rebuilt roster that is young, athletic, and ready to compete. If Booker achieves his potential, as many think, that could be decisive.
