With the Chicago Bears not selecting any edge rushers in the 2026 NFL Draft, Austin Booker is easily the biggest winner on the team's defense heading into the 2026 season.
The Chicago Bears added seven new players to their roster with their 2026 Draft Class.
General manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson added three new members to the offense and another four on defense. The Bears addressed seven different positions in this latest draft class.
- Round 1 (No. 25): Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
- Round 2 (No. 57): Logan Jones, C, Iowa
- Round 3 (No. 69): Sam Roush, TE, Stanford
- Round 3 (No. 89): Zavion Thomas, WR, LSU
- Round 4 (No. 124): Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas
- Round 5 (No. 166): Keyshaun Elliott, LB, Arizona State
- Round 6 (No. 213): Jordan van den Berg, DT, Georgia Tech
Although there was some variety in the Bears' selections, the team didn't select and edger rusher. The Bears also didn't add one in free agency.
With the Bears not adding to the edge rusher position, Austin Booker is the biggest winner on Chicago's defense.
Booker Continues Ascending
The Bears struggled to consistently apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season. Dennis Allen's defense finished 25th in total quarterback pressures and gave up 6.8 yards per passing play, ranking 28th in the NFL.
Clearly, there is room for improvement. Booker did make the most of his opportunities, at times, throughout his second season in the NFL. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished with 35 total quarterback pressures and six sacks in 12 games played, including the playoffs.
Against the Green Bay Packers in the wild card, Booker registered five total quarterback pressures and one sack. He finished with a season-high seven QB pressures in the Bears' dominant 31-3 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 15.
With no new edge rushers added to the roster, Booker has a realistic chance to outplay his 658 total defensive snaps from last season. Booker missed the first eight weeks because of a knee injury.
One area that Booker has been working on throughout the offseason is his physique. He's been seen training with bodybuilder Aaron W. Reed, who played the Juggernaut in Marvel's "Deadpool & Wolverine."
Booker was listed at 6-foot-6, 245-pounds at the end of the season, but it will be noteworthy to see where he is at now. That weight could help him generate more power in his rushes and set the edge more effectively in the run game.
In the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Booker ended with an 81.4 run defense grade, his highest of the season. If he continues to work on that area of his game while refining his pass rush technique, then the Bears may have the compliment that desperately need opposite of Montez Sweat.
The Bears will also likely have Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner returning from their season-ending injuries in 2026, but Booker still has an opportunity to build off an encouraging Year 2 and cement himself as a consistent contributor on this Bears defensive line.