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Under-the-radar defender labeled Bears' nonstarter to know by ESPN

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 3:58 PM ET

The Chicago Bears had an active offseason on both sides of the ball, including at defensive end, where GM Ryan Poles inked Dayo Odeyingbo to a three-year, $48 million contract in free agency.

But even with Odeyingbo and Montez Sweat in place as Chicago's primary pass rushers, another edge defender was labeled as the team's non-starter to know ahead of the 2025 NFL season by ESPN: second-year pro, Austin Booker.

"There's very little depth on the edge, so the Bears will need contributions from Booker, a 2024 fifth-round pick," Aaron Schatz wrote. "But Booker was one of the lowest-ranking prospects in last year's class, according to my SackSEER projections. Booker had 1.5 sacks and eight pressures last season, according to FTN Data charting. That was less production than departed edge backups Darrell Taylor or Jacob Martin."

First look at #Bears Austin Booker this year. pic.twitter.com/n9r5NPS5fa
— ImBearingDown (@ImBearingDown) May 16, 2025

Booker was last offseason's fan-favorite. A prospect who many considered a potential Day-2 pick, Booker slid to the Bears on Day 3 and was widely considered one of the biggest steals of the 2024 NFL Draft, regardless of the analytics now being cited.

Unfortunately, he didn't produce as a rookie, and this was while playing for a defense that offered a massive opportunity for him to become Sweat's top running mate.

Indeed, there are growing pains for players like Booker, who needed to pack on more weight, when they make the jump from the college ranks to the pros. Perhaps another year of seasoning is what he needed for his twitchy skill set to be unleashed.

Now that he'll enter a 2025 season with a clearly defined role (rotational edge rusher off the bench), more production can be expected. Let's face it: if he doesn't finish with, say, four or five sacks in Year 2, the upside that many Bears fans thought existed will quickly fade away.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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