HEIGHT: 6'5"

WEIGHT: 240

HAND: 9¼"

ARM: 33⅞"

WINGSPAN: 81⅜"

40-YARD DASH: 4.79

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 32.5"

BROAD: 10'0"

POSITIVES

— Great frame with room to add weight and long arms. Also has impressive movement skills, giving him a high ceiling in the NFL.

— Uses his hands and long limbs well as a pass-rusher to help "defeat the hands to defeat the man."

— Wide pass-rush arsenal that includes a cross chop, inside stick move, ghost rush and hand swipe.

— Solid bend at the top of the rush.

— Quick to get his hands up as a run defender and is physical at the point of attack.

— Also has good block recognition to avoid getting reached.

NEGATIVES

— Very inexperienced with only one college start and barely saw the field before the 2023 season.

— Wiry and lacks strength. Will likely struggle to hold up against the run initially.

— Not explosive off the line of scrimmage to threaten offensive tackles with speed around the edge.

— Slow run-pass transitions versus play action.

2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 56 TOT, 8.0 SK, 12.0 TFL, 2 FF, 1 PD

NOTES

— 3-star recruit in the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— No major injuries

— Transferred to Kansas from Minnesota ahead of the 2023 season

— Dad, Duaine, played college football at Liberty University and Taylor University; mom, Katie, played college basketball at Taylor University

OVERALL

Austin Booker is an intriguing Day 2 prospect, as his combination of length and movement skills give him a high ceiling as a pass-rusher in the NFL. His change of direction and quickness really stand out on film. That gives him a deadly inside stick move and helps when turning speed to power.

Booker also uses his long limbs well to work the offensive lineman's hands either before or after initial contact. That's a big reason why he's able to win with so many pass-rush moves like the ones listed above.

The biggest knocks on the former Jayhawk are a lack of experience and a lean frame that will cause him issues against the run in the NFL. He'll need to add about 15 pounds to be able to hold his ground when taking on blocks from offensive linemen.

However, he has plenty of room to add size, and he shows a physical mindset to become a three-down player with more time in the weight room. That will also make his long arms even more of an asset, as he'll be able to get more extension to help shed or get off blocks.

Whichever team drafts Booker will have to be patient with him, as he'll probably only be a situational pass-rusher for a year or two. But he'd be a great fit as a standup outside linebacker for a defense that uses a lot of odd fronts.

GRADE: 7.0 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 85

POSITION RANK: EDGE9

PRO COMPARISON: Joseph Ossai

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

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