Getty Austin Booker had a top-30 visit with the Packers.
The Green Bay Packers could use some additional help on the edge, and Brian Gutekunst is doing his homework in the 2024 NFL Draft by bringing Austin Booker in for a top-30 visit.
NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero posted to X on Wednesday, April 10 that the Packers had a top-30 visit with Booker. The Kansas EDGE prospect has also met with teams including the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots.
Booker likely won’t be considered with the 25th overall pick. However, the Packers could take a swing on him in the second or third round with one of their four Day 2 selections.
Austin Booker Scouting Report
Booker is one of the fastest-rising EDGE prospects in this class, and it’s easy to see why.
Coming out of Center Grove High School in Indiana, Booker was a 3-star recruit with more than a dozen FBS offers. He initially enrolled at Minnesota, but transferred to Kansas after two seasons with the Golden Gophers.
The Jayhawks benefitted from Booker’s presence in 2023. He finished the year with eight sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. That production helped him earn First-Team All-Big 12 honors along with the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year award.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein is high on Booker, giving him a grade that suggests he’ll eventually be a plus starter. He went as far as giving Booker a pro comparison of Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby.
“Truly unique prospect combining tremendous upside with an extremely limited sample size,” Zierlein wrote about Booker. “A more conservative approach on Booker’s grade might be prudent, but it becomes a difficult route to take when observing his length, explosive athleticism and rush talent.”
Booker is a bit smaller than other EDGE prospects, coming in at 6’4″ and 240 pounds. However, with his length, athleticism, and ability to bend around the pocket as a pass rusher, it’s easy to see why the Packers were interested enough to bring him in on a top-30 visit.
The Packers Need EDGE Help
It may not seem like the most pressing need, but the Packers could use an EDGE like Booker.
New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is bringing a 4-3 base scheme to Green Bay. This means a need for slightly different body types at defensive end compared to outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.
On top of that, the Packers will be without one of their rotational EDGE players in Kingsley Enagbare. The former fifth-round pick suffered a torn ACL at the end of last season, hurting his chances at finding the field for the majority of 2024.
EDGE will be a long-term need as well as a short-term one in Enagbare’s absence. Preston Smith has been a stable presence up front, but he’s already 31 years old. It’s also unclear how the defensive scheme change will impact him, and he could be a potential cap casualty in 2025 or 2026.
Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness will be expected to lead the charge as Green Bay’s pass rushers in the new-look defense. However, if the team wants to add some depth to the position in this year’s draft, a prospect like Booker makes a lot of sense.