Austin Booker. 5th round pick

[The Galloping Ghost]

Exactly what I was thinking, but with less upside.

That's is a completely baseless comparison. Not saying you have to like the pick but comparing him to Shea McClellin tells me you've never watched either Booker or McClellin before.

 

[HearshotKDS]

He's a dominique robinson replacement, not a reasonable candidate DE2 this year. Tested like shit but looks faster on tape. He has several decent pass rush moves but needs a lot of coaching on when to use them. Needs a lot of learning experience he often looks lost on whats happening in a given play. I like the pick, worst case scenario they are reseting the clock on DomRob and seeing if they can get more out of a project guy, best case scenario he develops into something more useful than 5 pressures in 11 games Robinson.

 

[TL1961]

This guy needs to add 30 lbs at least which will put him at a 7.5 40. You all are out of your minds that he ever going to be anything other than a slow fat DOOFUS for the bears.

There are plenty of people who analyze NFL players for a living who claim he has tremendous upside while you think he’ll never amount anything. Gee, I wonder who I should listen to.

 

[Canth]

He's a dominique robinson replacement, not a reasonable candidate DE2 this year. Tested like shit but looks faster on tape. He has several decent pass rush moves but needs a lot of coaching on when to use them. Needs a lot of learning experience he often looks lost on whats happening in a given play. I like the pick, worst case scenario they are reseting the clock on DomRob and seeing if they can get more out of a project guy, best case scenario he develops into something more useful than 5 pressures in 11 games Robinson.

I think I know what you are trying to say here, but I would just point out that I hope the best case is a hell of a lot better than just getting 6 total pressures to beat Robinson.

IMO, I would be very happy for his rookie year to be that he is an effective situational pass rusher. And then long term that he can develop into a regular piece of the edge/pass rusher rotation.

Best case would be that he actually eventually develops into a starter and gets double digit sacks year in and year out.

 

[IBleedBearsBlood]

Here he is in the senior bowl, where they said he shined. I don’t see where he shined but nonetheless, great traits for a developmental pick.

Thank fucking god we didn’t draft Bortolini. They killed him everything he was up.

 

[WookieOnRitalin]

10 Yard 40 Splits (10-40 Split)

Robinson: 1.56 (2.93)
Verse: 1.60 (2.99)
Latu: 1.62 (3.02)
Booker: 1.67 (3.12)

Top Rushers
Mack: 1.64
Bosa: 1.69
Hunter: 1.57 (Graded lower than Booker)
Watt: 1.61 (Graded lower than Booker)
Hendrickson: 1.59 (Graded lower than Booker)
Allen: 1.57
Crosby: 1.60 (Graded lower than 6. Yikes)

I think this is more useful comparison than the overall 40. There is obviously more to rushing the passer than simply speed. Strength is a huge factor and unfortunately the word is that Booker is just not strong right now. In all likelihood, he should/could have stayed an extra year at Kansas and helped out his draft status. The kid likely needs a year or two to just get stronger. He's only 21. He will turn 22 during the season. Adding 10-15 lbs and getting stronger is absolutely possible for this kid. He's got long arms. There is potential there. The fact that he fell to the 5th round is a bit surprising. In terms of where Poles got him is very, very good. He's not a year 1 starter, but he can be a plus starter with time and food.

 

[HearshotKDS]

I think I know what you are trying to say here, but I would just point out that I hope the best case is a hell of a lot better than just getting 6 total pressures to beat Robinson.

IMO, I would be very happy for his rookie year to be that he is an effective situational pass rusher. And then long term that he can develop into a regular piece of the edge/pass rusher rotation.

Best case would be that he actually eventually develops into a starter and gets double digit sacks year in and year out.

Thats a weird part to take umbrage to, but its 100% referring to how bad DomRob was in 2023. I think youre reading too much into it, semantically the sentence is not limiting Bookers ceiling to just getting 6 pressures.

 

[IBleedBearsBlood]

Here’s two more with him in there.

 

[Katesboobsrgr8]

He's a 5th round pick. Most of them suck.

This guy was #78 in dane bruglers "beast" tho, so there is that. NFL.com also had him as a 3rd round grade with a comp to maxx crosby.

Maybe fluss can earn his paycheck and develop this guy into a decent rotational piece...or maybe he's the next dominique robinson

Yeah, people who know a lot more about football than I do like something about him anyway. I was absolutely content with closing the book on this draft after the 4th round, so this is largely a meh move to me. I'd have rather kept the capitol for next year, but what do I know?

 

[HeHateMe]

There are plenty of people who analyze NFL players for a living who claim he has tremendous upside while you think he’ll never amount anything. Gee, I wonder who I should listen to.

Have you ever added 50 lbs to your body???

How'd ya run with an extra 30 to 40% additional weight?

 

[Nelly]

Hopefully he could be a rotation guy. It's nice to see us grab at least one guy to put in the hopper and have some shred of hope about, cause that flash of Dominique Robinson week 1 of his rookie year fizzled out awfully quick.

 

[Myk]

What? The Bears didn't get a super star EDGE in the 5th? He'll need developed? Say it isn't so.

I'm not so sure about a future 4th but what else are we going to do with it? Get a RB or a WR who won't see the field? I actually thought he'd be this year's 4th.

Guy seems to grade out to someone worth a low cost risk. You all are talking like the position is completely empty so someone needs to fill the hole to keep from forfeiting.
We still have 2 2nds and 3 6ths to trade for a super star.

He could be the next Braxton. Able to start but you're always looking for better to jump on.

 

[IBleedBearsBlood]

Yeah, people who know a lot more about football than I do like something about him anyway. I was absolutely content with closing the book on this draft after the 4th round, so this is largely a meh move to me. I'd have rather kept the capitol for next year, but what do I know?

It’s not what you know. You know plenty. You know what you would do. The thing is, it’s not you making those calls in that chair. It’s just a difference in opinion. Even if they know more than you. Nothing wrong with wanting it to go your way because you think it’s the best in your view.

If someone thinks Poles sucks and is incompetent, great. That doesn’t mean poles sucks just cause they think that. At the end, Poles is the one running their favorite team and they don’t even have a job in the NFL as a custodian.

 

[CaliBearFan]

Have you ever added 50 lbs to your body???

How'd ya run with an extra 30 to 40% additional weight?

I did and and i ran a lot better. In 3rd grade i was 4'0 and 60 lbs and by high school i was 5'8 110 lbs and i was WAY faster.

 

[IBleedBearsBlood]

I’m not worried about the size, but I wish he was faster. A 4.8 is underwhelming, but at his size, a high 4.4 to low 4.5 would have been nice.

Maybe he can get faster, he does have nice burst, and uses his hands well.

It would have been nice. But I would say I’m not surprised he ran that, knowing where we picked him.

 

[WookieOnRitalin]

Have you ever added 50 lbs to your body???

How'd ya run with an extra 30 to 40% additional weight?

Math is not your strong suit.

 

[Myk]

Hopefully he could be a rotation guy. It's nice to see us grab at least one guy to put in the hopper and have some shred of hope about, cause that flash of Dominique Robinson week 1 of his rookie year fizzled out awfully quick.

Rotational is exactly what I read about him while doing sims and he came up as BPA in the 4th.
On Huddle Report he ranked higher in DEs than any other defense in their own groups that were available by the 4th.
It's not a horrible pick/move, just a low round pick for the position. May work, probably won't.

I sure didn't think he was the answer when I said sure to the 4th in the sim. He's just a body worth taking a slight risk on.

 

[Myk]

Math is not your strong suit.

Three kinds of people in this world. Those who understand math and those who don't.

 

[zabavka]

Have you ever added 50 lbs to your body???

How'd ya run with an extra 30 to 40% additional weight?

If he puts on 15 pounds he weights what Sweat does. Stop exaggerating Beavis

 

[WookieOnRitalin]

Rotational is exactly what I read about him while doing sims and he came up as BPA in the 4th.
On Huddle Report he ranked higher in DEs than any other defense in their own groups that were available by the 4th.
It's not a horrible pick/move, just a low round pick for the position. May work, probably won't.

I sure didn't think he was the answer when I said sure to the 4th in the sim. He's just a body worth taking a slight risk on.

Here's the thing though FWIW.

They went back into the draft to go get him. Either that is just plain stupidity (possible) or there is something there they really like to the point they wanted to get back into the draft to go get him. These guys do analytics all day, so they felt that getting Booker was worthwhile projecting not into this year, but also into the next two years.

To me, that says something. I think he would have been a Day 2 pick in 2025. With all things, you just want guys who want to play hard football. This trait is paramount to both Flus and Poles (their most recent presser it was mentioned several times by both of them). Booker fits that bill to them, so much so, again, they went back into the draft to go get him.