Kansas EDGE rusher Austin Booker is one of the 45 prospects to hold a formal interview with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, per Cowboys Report’s Tom Downey. A busy man before his on-field workout, the Steelers are one of four teams Booker held a formal interview with, per Downey.
NFL rules stipulate that teams can hold up to 45 formal interviews with prospects during the week, though there’s no limit on the number of informal interviews teams and scouts can hold.
Booker began his career at Minnesota before transferring to Kansas for the 2023 season. This past year, he broke out with 12 tackles for a loss and eight sacks. A one-year production player, Booker wasn’t on NFL radars until this past season, having hardly played his first two years in college. According to draftnik Dane Brugler, Booker said he hopes to run a 4.5 40-yard dash this week.
At this year’s Senior Bowl, Booker weighed in at 6044, 240 pounds with long 34-inch arms. Pittsburgh doesn’t have an urgent need for an outside linebacker but veteran Markus Golden is a pending free agent and the team valued its depth behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, something the Steelers didn’t have in 2022. It could be a sneaky area the team looks to address, though it made steps in that direction after claiming OLB Jeremiah Moon off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens.
Our Ryan Roberts wrote the scouting report on Austin Booker earlier this month, concluding:
“The tools are all there for Booker to develop into one of the best pass rushers in the 2024 NFL Draft. His combination of length, twitch, and flexibility should translate well to the next level. He will need to continue to develop his body to become a real asset against the run, so in year one, a role as a designated pass rusher would be most ideal. By year two or three, he should be a player who can be counted on as a full-time starter.”
Roberts gave him a third-round grade. According to Mock Draft Database, Booker is on average being mocked in the fourth round.
We’ll soon post a Combine meeting track to make the Steelers’ meetings easy to follow. The Combine will continue through Monday with the final on-field workouts being held Sunday. Be sure to follow our crew in Indianapolis: Ross McCorkle, Joe Clark, and Jonathan Heitritter.
