The Chicago Bears still have questions surrounding their pass rush. It wasn’t good enough last season. Montez Sweat played hurt for much of the year, and nobody else managed to pick up the slack. Dayo Odeyingbo is a fine addition to the team, but he’s never been a true sack specialist. He’s more of a great utility tool who can do multiple things well. The Bears still don’t have a legitimate #2 option. That is why the explosive preseason debut of Austin Booker was so exciting. His three-sack performance offered hope the Bears might have that second guy they need.
Of course, many were quick to point out it’s preseason. Judging Booker based on playing mostly backups is a losing proposition. However, former Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune there are two key reasons to think this isn’t a fluke situation.
Booker has a couple of things going for him that former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt said he always looks for in a pass rusher. First, he has a quick first step. It’s hard to win without one. Second, he always plays with a high motor. As Wannstedt said, if you watch every sack over the course of an NFL weekend, about one-third of them are hustle plays. So if Booker continues to play with a high motor, he’ll have a chance to make those plays.
Both of those traits were on full display against Miami.
Wannstedt knows more about this stuff than most. Before becoming a head coach in the NFL, he carved out a reputation as a defensive line coach at Oklahoma State and USC. He learned what good pass rushers look like. Among the players he helped develop are Dexter Manley, Jerome Brown, Cortez Kennedy, and Tony Tolbert. This is without mentioning some all-time greats he worked with, like Charles Haley and Jason Taylor.
Austin Booker controls his own destiny.
Not many 5th round picks find themselves in situations like this. The depth chart ahead of him isn’t daunting. There should be plenty of defensive snaps coming his way. The new Bears coaching staff likes his progress. His preseason explosion merely confirmed what they’ve been seeing flashes of in practice. The last step for Austin Booker is the most difficult: proving it against starting offensive tackle in real games. That didn’t happen last year. He managed only 1.5 sacks and 10 pressures in 152 snaps. He’ll get a grace period because he was a rookie who clearly needed time to develop. This offseason was crucial for him, and he apparently put it to great use. Here’s hoping the coaching staff gives him a legitimate opportunity to show what he has learned.
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