Bears Dodged Bullet in NFL Draft That Could Have Cost Team Austin Booker
The Chicago Bears dodged something of a bullet in April’s NFL Draft by avoiding an unnecessary trade up in the first round.
Ari Meirov of 33rd Team and the AM Show reported on Friday, June 14, that the Bears were open to trading a future Day 2 pick to the Atlanta Falcons to ensure they landed wide receiver Rome Odunze, formerly of Washington.
Bears Considered Austin Booker Undervalued in NFL Draft
The Bears ended up using a future fourth-rounder to trade back into the fifth round and select defensive end Austin Booker the following day.
The team may still have traded a valuable asset to get Booker on the roster, but flipping a second fourth-round After trading up for Odunze, it would have been more difficult for Chicago’s war room to select a pick in the same draft. In the end, the Bears decided to trade a full round of value for the Kansas pass rusher because they liked Booker and thought the NFL had underestimated him.
On April 29, Dane Brugler of The Athletic stated, “The Bears used a 2025 fourth-round pick to trade back into this draft (at No. 144) and scoop up Booker.” “Booker has the potential pass-rush savvy to be a steal when we look back at this selection in two or three years, even though he isn’t ready for a meaningful role as a rookie.”
Austin Booker Could Challenge for Starting Job, Rome Odunze Good Bet to Start as Rookie
In his rookie season, Booker might get significant defensive rotation time. Depending on whether the Bears add more players behind likely starters DeMarcus Walker and Montgomery Sweat, he might possibly contend for a starting position.
On June 3, Windy City Gridiron’s Jacob Infante listed the matchup between Booker and Walker as one of the few positional matchups to watch this summer.
At his best, Walker has been a serviceable starting EDGE, but he wasn’t that last year. He’ll have a chance to carve out a key role for himself.
At the moment, Booker is Walker’s biggest rival. He’s a long, tool-loving edge rusher with a strong motor and quick first step. Booker’s shortcomings as a pass rusher and his lack of experience as a processor could limit his early impact in the first year in the NFL. Although Booker has the skills to start in the NFL, he may not be able to do it straight away due to a learning curve.
When Chicago’s season begins in September, Odunze is the favorite to start at wide receiver alongside DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. The quarterback, Caleb Williams, who is also a rookie, will pass to all of them.
