the offensive side of the ball due to rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze unique rookie situation. General Manager Ryan Poles made a concerted effort to focus on the offensive side of the ball during the 2024 NFL Draft, as Austin Booker was the only defensive player selected by Chicago.
Heading into the 2024 NFL season, there are high expectations for Austin Booker, but due to where he was drafted, along with what could transpire with the defense before the start of the regular season, the Kansas defensive end could be in the best situation of any rookie on the roster.
Austin Booker Has Less Pressure To Produce Immediately in 2024 Than Compared To His Teammates On Offense
Leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, Poles and his front office had several positions they needed to address, including the quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive end spots. Although it was a foregone conclusion that the Bears’ would take Williams with the first overall selection after quarterback Justin Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there was still debate on how the ninth overall pick should be utilized. Poles would take Odunze after the Washington pass-catcher surprisingly fell to Chicago at number nine, resulting in the need for a pass-rusher to remain.
Poles would finally address the defensive end position by trading back into the draft despite no longer having any selections to select Austin Booker in the fifth round. The pick of the defensive end was met with praise by analysts as the Kansas pass-rusher was highly rated by scouts, with some comparing his upside to that of All-Pro Maxx Crosby. Despite having Pro Bowler Montez Sweat, Chicago’s defense was in dire need of adding another starting defensive end, especially after no significant signings were made by Poles during free agency.
Unlike Williams and Odunze, there are no immediate high expectations placed on Austin Booker to produce immediately and be successful. Chicago’s rookie quarterback and wide receiver are expected to be significant contributors as soon as the 2024 season begins, with fans and media projecting the offense to be a top-ten scoring unit. Although highly touted, the rookie defensive end has no pressure to be an impactful force right away but more so a contributor for a defense that finished as one of the league’s best in 2023 due to sacks and interceptions.
Austin Booker is coming into an ideal situation as a rookie defensive end as he could be relied on as the third or even fourth pass-rush option, depending on if any additional moves happen from now until the beginning of the regular season. With Sweat and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, the rookie edge rusher could capitalize on facing one-on-one blocking situations when rushing the passer, leading to more sack opportunities. Booker will given more leeway for rookie struggles compared to Williams and Odunze because if the two struggle, the offensive duo will be criticized much more harshly and abruptly.
Additionally, Poles could create an even more friendly situation for Booker, as the team could bring back defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to pair with Sweat, as both are consistent pass-rushing threats. The two veteran edge rushers have combined for ten seasons of eight sacks or more. Austin Booker could be a part of a pass-rush rotation that features two Pro Bowl-level defensive ends in front of him, allowing the Bears to deploy the rookie in favorable situations.
Former Chicago Bears’ Rookie Defensive Ends Show How Austin Booker Can Be Aided By Others Around Him
With Booker’s situation, he has the potential to generate pass-rush pressure immediately due to the amount of talent on the defensive line he will be working with. There have been prior instances where former defensive ends drafted by Chicago either struggled or had success due to the talent that surrounded them. Two previous pass-rushers drafted by the Bears were Mark Anderson in 2006 and Dominique Robinson in 2022.
Robinson was taken by the Bears in the 20 22 NFL Draft and was viewed as one of the best selections due to his raw athletic talent.
Although the rookie joined Robert Quinn, who was coming off a record-breaking 2021 campaign where he set a franchise record in sacks with 19.5, he failed to produce after a one-and-a-half sack performance in the season-opening game against the San Francisco 49ers. One significant reason for Robinson’s pass-rush struggles was that the Bears traded Quinn midway through the season, leaving no legitimate pass-rush threat to draw blocks from opposing offensive lines.
The complete opposite situation occurred for Chicago in 2006 when the team drafted defensive end Mark Anderson in the fifth round from Alabama. Anderson was a depth selection but ended up being the steal of the draft, as he would record 12 sacks in the Bears’ Super Bowl season.
The rookie was aided by playing with veterans Adewale Ogunleye and Alex Brown, who combined for over 16 sacks in 2005. Their success allowed the Alabama pass-rusher to excel in favorable passing situations.
Since the draft, many analysts and fans have clamored about how Poles has created the best possible situation for Williams to come into as a first-round quarterback, but Austin Booker is in an almost identical situation. The defensive end has no pressure to generate sacks immediately but is surrounded by high-quality talent that could enable him to be a force once the regular season begins.
The rookie defensive end could be almost as vital to Chicago’s potential success as his offensive rookie counterparts, given the situation Poles has created for him. Now let’s see if Austin Booker can take advantage of that.
