Only First-Rounders Left for Bears After Austin Booker Signing

Fifth-round defensive end now signed, leaving only Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze to get deals.

Austin Booker addresses the media at Bears rookie minicamp. Booker is now under contract. / Photo | Chicago Bears Video

Only the two first-round draft picks remain to be signed now from the Bears draft class.

Fifth-round pick Austin Booker became the third draft pick to sign on Thursday in advance of next week's start to the on-field phase of organized team activities.

Booker, the defensive end from Kansas and Minnesota, has a chance to play a vital role for a team short on pass rush help last year even after they traded for Montez Sweaton.

However, he's been described as a raw player in need of refining. This is understandable considering he never had a sack or made more than one tackle for loss until his final season at Kansas.

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"I'm not sure I met a rookie that wasn't raw," Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. "And so what we want to do is take what he can do and really hone and shape that, develop him, inform him of all the things that will allow him to play as fast and as physical as he possibly can play.

"Just build a player. Build a person and build a player."

So now the Bears will attempt to get both first-round picks, Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, signed to complete the class.

As of Thursday night, 163 out of 257 draft picks in the league have signed contracts according to Pro Football Talk.

Often picks will wait until other picks around them begin signing to get under contract.

In Odunze's case, this may not be a factor because the wide receiver taken ahead of him has signed already. The Giants signed sixth pick Malik Nabers, who was taken three picks ahead of Odunze. In fact, PFT reports 11 first-rounders under contract already, so it could be a case where everything comes together early for the Bears front office.

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