Bears get creative with Austin Booker in unexpected pass rush package originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
There’s not a ton of intrigue when it comes to the Bears roster this year. We know where most players will fit into a scheme or how much playing time they receive on a week-to-week basis. The only real starting competition is center– and that might not even turn out to be a competition if the team is forced to rearrange the line due to Nate Davis’ injury. But we don’t know much about one man, Austin Booker, and he likes it that way.
“I’m gonna continue to get better in the shadows and they’re not going to know what’s coming,” Booker said.
There’s not a ton of tape on Booker. According to PFF, he played just 505 defensive snaps in college as a backup at Kansas. Projections of how he will perform in the NFL are projections in the truest sense. The Bears obviously liked what they saw in their own projections for Booker, because they traded back into the fifth-round of this year’s draft to select him.
“He’s got a slippery way about him,” said head coach Matt Eberflus after the draft. “Some rushers just have that ability to work around the tackle on the outside… He’s just got a natural ability to just rush the passer and understand that when he gets to the top of the rush, if he gets stuck he can work back inside.”
One Bears scout said that even though Booker is still considered a “raw” prospect due to his lack of experience, they were impressed with his advanced pass rush arsenal. They saw that Booker could win with speed, power or with nifty counter moves. Now that the Bears have him in house, his mindset has impressed them.
“He’s competing out there and he’s competing to win,” said defensive coordinator Eric Washington. “He’s got one objective in mind and that’s to put himself in position to hit the quarterback.”
Heading into training camp, the expectation was that Booker would compete for rotational snaps at defensive end. Maybe he’d come in on obvious passing downs or for special third-down packages when the team kicks an extra defensive end inside. But as the Bears protect stars like Montez Sweat with limited snap counts and try various looks, Booker has seemingly earned more and more opportunities to rep with the first team. And it appears like he’s making the most of those opportunities.
“He’s just buying into everything and buying into what the coaches and (defensive line coach Travis Smith) asks of them on the D Line and at the position,” said starting SAM linebacker Jack Sanborn. “He’s just buying in and looking to work each day.”
That’s included more out of the box opportunities, like lining up at defensive tackle, then running twists or stunts to get back outside. Booker never did anything of the sort at Kansas, but embraces each new challenge or assignment. He wants to learn as much as he can, as quickly as he can, so that he can help the team as much as possible. Booker loves the creativity from Bears coaches and looks forward to whatever they cook up for him.
“They’re really smart guys and I’m really excited for what we’re going to do this year.”
The Bears will not put a ceiling on what Booker can do this year, or how many packages he can handle. They’re going to throw as much at him as they can, then see what his limit is. If he can handle 10 snaps a game that will be his number. If he shows he deserves more playing time, they’ll find a way to work him in.
“I feel like I still can compete at this level,” Booker said. “I’m at the same level as all the other guys or better. Just getting in and showing I belong and showing I can dominate at the highest level is a big thing. I think I’ve shown that at this camp.”