Austin Booker Isn't Going Away. Rookie Reportedly Becoming A Menace

Chicago Bears fans got their first taste of Austin Booker in the Hall of Fame game last week. It was an exciting experience. While he didn't register a sack, he spent every snap finding various ways to beat opposing tackles. Speed, quickness, misdirection, and power were all on display. It was frankly a showing nobody should've expected from a rookie 5th round pick, much less someone with only one year of starting experience in college. Yet that is the reality. Booker is far outplaying his draft slot already.

Even better, it's not fading. Recent updates from Bears training camp suggest the rookie is gaining more and more confidence. Adam Jahns of The Athletic hammered that home.

Remember, Caleb Williams is highly mobile as a quarterback. Escaping the pocket is his specialty. Booker's discipline and quickness to ensure a sack tell you the kind of potential he has. The fact that he's getting reps with the starting defense also shows how the coaches feel about him. Bears color analyst Tom Thayer spoke about what makes Booker different from your typical Day 3 draft picks on ESPN 1000.

Austin Booker is only scratching the surface.

Don't forget this kid played one season as a starter in college but still managed eight sacks and 12 tackles for a loss. He's listed at 240 lbs, which is light for a defensive end. He's not experienced or in proper NFL shape. Yet he already has the power and array of instinctive moves to beat blockers regularly. What happens when he adds 10-15 lbs of muscle over the next 12 months? That isn't a question other teams want to see answered. Chicago is already in the process of making it happen.

We've wondered for weeks why the Bears haven't been more active trying to add help at edge rusher. Perhaps the answer was already in front of us. Austin Booker promised that he was a sleeper. People weren't going to notice him until it was too late. Based on the rapid progress he's making every week, that statement becomes more prophetic by the day. Chicago has wanted to build through the draft. Giving Booker an avenue to the starting lineup could yield huge dividends down the line. The same was true for Braxton Jones.