Former Kansas Star Austin Booker Records Sack To Take Preseason Lead

Booker finished with a pair of tackles and sacked Mike White in the second quarter to record his league-leading fourth sack of the preseason.

Booker was called for a roughing the passer penalty later in the game, but considering how well he's played so far this preseason, I don't think the Bears are all that concerned about that.

It's not that uncommon for players to make a big jump in their second year in the league, so Booker might just be the guy who improves the most among last year's rookies.

Booker did play in 17 games last year, but he didn't get many reps on the defensive line, limiting him to a stat line of 21 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three stuffs. With how well Booker has played so far this preseason, it's just a matter of time before he is starting at defensive end, even if he's currently listed as a backup behind both Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo.

And even if he doesn't start Week 1, don't be surprised if Booker plays more than Odeyjingbo in the Bears' season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Most pass-rushers do their damage on third and long, and that's what we expect to see out of Booker.

The Bears drafted Booker out of Kansas in the fifth round two years ago, and I think they saw his potential based on his size and speed. However, I'm not so sure they expected him to blossom this quickly.

Booker was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and a First Team All-Big 12 selection after recording 40 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, and two forced fumbles in his only season at Kansas back in 2023.

He's been a week-in, week-out game-wrecker so far this preseason, and if it carries over to the regular season, people are going to start mentioning Booker with the likes of former great Bears pass-rushers like Khalil Mack, Richard Dent, Leonard Floyd, and Dan Hampton.

It's still way too early to be making those comparisons, but if Booker keeps this up during the regular season, it'll just be a matter of time before those conversations become legit.