Report: Ravens hosted Kansas EDGE Austin Booker for a pre-draft visit

The Ravens are among several teams interested in the projected Day 2 pass rusher whose draft profile mirrors a three-time Pro Bowler.

In the eyes of Baltimore Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta, the 2024 NFL Draft class is “average” in terms of its overall depth outside of the top-tier prospects at the position; however, DeCosta stated there are several different skillsets some can offer depending on what teams are looking for.

“The challenge for us is going to be who’s going to be that next-tier group of guys in that sweet spot between the 25th player to the 45th player that we have a chance to get either at [pick No.] 30 or at [pick No.] 62,” DeCosta said Tuesday at the team’s annual pre-draft press conference.

One intriguing prospect who could be in consideration for them in the second or third round is University of Kansas’ Austin Booker. According to NFL Network’s Tom Peliserro, the Ravens are among six teams who recently hosted him for an official pre-draft visit.

Booker was a bit of a late bloomer in college who didn’t record a sack during his first two years at Minnesota before transferring and breaking out with the Jayhawks this past season. After not recording a sack from 2021-22, he exploded with eight sacks and 12 tackles for loss, both of career highs.

His breakout junior season earned him first-team All-Big 12 Conference honors and an invite to the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he had a strong showing against some of the best upperclassmen and NFL-caliber prospect talent in the country.

At 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, Booker will definitely need to put on some more weight at the next level in order to develop into an every-down player. However, his explosive get-off, relentless motor and advanced pass rush plan despite a lack of experience will allow him to immediately thrive as a situational pass rusher until he can fill out more physically.

Booker has drawn some lofty pro comparisons by some of the most prominent and respected draft analysts. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had one of the most optimistic projections by comparing him to Las Vegas Raiders three-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby.

“Truly unique prospect combining tremendous upside with an extremely limited sample size,” Zierlein wrote. “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 needs to get bigger and stronger, but that will come. The diversity of his rush approach is unheard of for a player with so little playing time.”

Coming out of Eastern Michigan in 2019, Crosby’s draft profile mirrored Booker’s when it came to concerns about his weight and lanky frame. However, neither has been a problem since he entered the league as he has recorded double-digit sacks in three of his first five seasons and has recorded at least seven each year.

While Crosby didn’t hear his name called until early Day 3 with the fourth pick in the fourth round, his success paved the way for a similar prospect such as Booker to be viewed as a Day 2 lock who should be taken in the late second or third round at some point where the Ravens hold picks Nos. 62 and 93 overall.