The Chicago Bears have plenty of reasons to be excited going into this season. For the first time in ages, they appear to have assembled a coaching staff with actual credibility. Ben Johnson, Dennis Allen, Al Harris, and Atwaan Randle El all bring degrees of prestige to the organization. Caleb Williams is coming off the best season a Bears rookie quarterback has ever had. He’ll be surrounded by a significantly bolstered supporting cast, including a totally revamped offensive line. For once, the biggest concerns aren’t with the offense.
To be fair, there isn’t much panic about the Bears’ defense. They have talent at all three levels, headlined by Montez Sweat, T.J. Edwards, and Jaylon Johnson. However, the saying goes you’re only as strong as your weakest link. The defense might be their depth, particularly at one spot. Aaron Schatz of ESPN believes the Bears took an unnecessary risk by not adding more at edge rusher. They are leaning on the development of Austin Booker, which, by his calculations, is not the best idea.
Nonstarter to know: Edge rusher Austin Booker. There’s very little depth on the edge, so the Bears will need contributions from Booker, a 2024 fifth-round pick. 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. — Schatz
The Chicago Bears badly need Booker to ascend.
Nobody disputes the young man’s talent. He has the explosiveness and length that good pass rushers usually need. His primary issues have been a lack of arsenal of moves and overall power. That was a big reason he fell to the 5th round last year. The Chicago Bears still believe he has tons of room to grow, and Booker has a strong work ethic. His confidence seems unshakeable. Perhaps the thing he needed most was opportunities. He wasn’t getting them with Darrell Taylor and Jacob Martin in the picture. Make no mistake. This upcoming training camp is decisive for Booker. If he can show progress, he’ll be the rotational pass rusher the team needs to spell Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo. If he doesn’t, expect a corresponding move to bring in more depth.
