The Chicago Bears welcomed five new rookies to the roster during the 2024 NFL draft, which included a future star duo of quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze in the top 10.

Chicago also shored up the offensive line with the addition of lineman Kiran Amegadjie in the third round, unearthed a generational punter in Tory Taylor in the fourth round and secured a potential steal in edge rusher Austin Booker in the fifth round.

Over the next four days, our Bears Wire team will be providing their impressions regarding the 2024 rookie class. Next up: Our sleeper picks for rookies who could develop as impact players.

The Bears’ biggest need entering into the draft – outside of quarterback – was pass rusher, and there was a period where it seemed like they were going to pass on addressing the position in the draft with just four selections. But the fact that GM Ryan Poles traded back into the draft — sending a 2025 fourth rounder to the Bills – tells you how highly he thinks of Austin Booker, who’s still a young, developmental talent.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said Booker might very well be a first-round choice in next year’s draft, had he returned to school. Heck, even in this draft many had Booker as a Day 2 choice, and Chicago snagged him in the fifth round.

Now, you give Booker the luxury of studying alongside stud Montez Sweat and new defensive coach Eric Washington, whose skill with developing defensive lineman is well established. Booker might not be an impact contributor immediately as a rookie, but he has the potential to develop into a long-term starter opposite Sweat down the line.

Williams, Odunze, and Taylor are all likely to be Week 1 starts, and while I think Amegadjie could see playing time sooner rather than later due to injuries, there isn’t a more clear sleeper possibility than Booker.

He isn’t expected to start straight away, but he should still see time as a rotational pass rusher. That’s where he can inflict the greatest damage. Booker is a jackknife when it comes to pass rush moves. He has different tactics to get around tackles, whether it’s a spin, a delay, hand fakes—you name it.

Offensive linemen may struggle to get a read on him early on, especially with minimal college footage, and he could benefit on that to make plays in the backfield. He won’t be counted on like Montez Sweat or even DeMarcus Walker at this point, but Booker has a chance to make an early splash and surprise some people, given how much of an unknown he is coming out of college.

I was sort of startled when some supporters questioned the Bears’ selection of Taylor here. Though special teams isn’t as glamorous as high-flying offense or devastating defense, the continuous struggle of field position is just as crucial.

Current Chicago punter Trenton Gill has severely battled over the last several years while particularly hitting a low point last season. The Bears got a huge upgrade in Taylor, who was widely rated the greatest punter of the most recent NCAA season. Though fans may debate this decision now, it’s fair to say they won’t be questioning it when he puts foot to the ball in 2024.

Tory Taylor was a high punting prospect, and despite not anticipating the Bears would choose one, they went and drafted a punter in the fourth-round. If Caleb Williams’ estimate of not punting much is correct, Taylor won’t have much to do — but when called upon, the Bears are getting a punter with a consistently accurate leg. That’s what thrills me about the pick.

Normally, drafting a punter or a place kicker is frowned upon in the NFL Draft. Some people scoffed at Ryan Poles and his crew for making the selection of Tory Taylor in the fourth round.

It is not worth laughing at though because it was actually a pretty clever option. They got Tory Taylor who is one of the best punting prospects we’ve seen in a long time. The child can boot footballs like nobody else.

Punting is a position that football teams require and it may be tricky if you have a lousy punter. It can set your defense up beautifully if you have a very good one too. That could contribute to superior field positions for offenses in the end as well. Ryan Poles knows what he’s doing.