Best Scheme Fit: Universal.
His patience and vision probably make him a better fit in a zone-running
scheme. He should be able to handle a lead-back role early in
his NFL career and handle heavy work as a mismatch weapon in the
passing game.
Best Team Fit(s): Chargers, Cowboys, Cardinals,
Saints, Raiders, Giants
Non-bolded times - Good examples of attribute Bolded times - Average/poor examples of attribute
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For running backs, a player needs to be a
three-down option as well as a realistic threat for 1,000 rushing
yards and 500 receiving yards to be a candidate for a perfect
grade. Positional scarcity at the pro level is also a part of
the equation.
Positives
Near elite contact balance for a mid-sized running back and
runs with impressive power for a player who reportedly played
under 210 pounds in college; runs as low to the ground as any
prospect in this class.
Patient runner who not only has a great feel for when to
accelerate, but also has the hip fluidity to evade defenders
at every level; not extremely shifty, but he is elusive enough
to leave a defender grabbing air on a jump cut.
While his actual speed is probably in the 4.5 range (about
average for a running back), he possesses enough explosiveness
to break off chunk runs consistently.
Receiving skills were likely very much underutilized in college;
has the change-of-direction ability and hands (caught 28 of
32 career targets) to be a nightmare on option routes.
Recorded a mere 238 carries (and 266 total touches) in college
and fumbled just once.
Negatives
Suffered a torn ACL in November, which will likely affect
how much he can realistically contribute in 2024. (Recent reports
suggest he could be ready for training camp.)
Occasionally guilty of indecisiveness and stopping his feet
in the backfield when running lanes are clogged.
Power is mostly limited to running through tacklers and not
over them; did not convert in short yardage/goal line situations
several times.
Possesses good but not great speed and can be caught from
behind on big runs.
Rarely asked to pass block in college, recording only 59
reps in three seasons in college (51 in 2023), per Pro Football
Focus.
Bottom Line
There are shades of Alvin Kamara in Brooks' game. Obviously,
Brooks has work to do if he wants to enjoy similar NFL success,
but it is easy to see the resemblance between the two. Both players
are light on their feet, can make tacklers miss, are more physical
than their size would indicate and show an incredible ability
to stay on their feet despite contact. While he may lack the quickness
Kamara had in his younger days, Brooks' ability to stay on his
feet and drag tacklers while running up the gut may make him a
slightly better bet to be a better inside runner than his veteran
counterpart.
Brooks' ability to regain full confidence in his knee at some
point during the 2024 season is probably his biggest question
mark right now. There is some question as to what weight he played
at in 2023, and it likely works against Brooks whatever the answer
is. If he played at his reported 207 pounds, then his speed (and
ability to break off big plays) will likely decrease if he plays
at his current weight of 216. If he played at or around 216 pounds
and intends to go back to 207, then there is room to question
if he will lose some power. Brooks runs with enough power either
way, but one of the few troubling things on his tape was converting
in short-yardage and goal-line situations when he was met in the
hole. Texas HC Steve Sarkisian's reluctance to use Brooks more
often in the passing game is also somewhat puzzling and only serves
to delay his ability to make a potential notable impact in the
NFL right away. Not only did the Longhorns fail to utilize him
as a receiver as often as they should have (13 of his 25 receptions
in 2023 came in two games), but they also did him a disservice
but not having him stay in to block more often to solidify that
part of his game.
Much as is the case with most running backs entering the league,
Brooks should not be expected to hit his stride until the middle
of the season at his earliest - and that assumes he can participate
in the bulk of training camp and the preseason. With that said,
Brooks is a very good prospect who could easily emerge as a three-down
weapon for an offense willing to embrace and sharpen his skill
set. He may never become a featured back in the traditional sense,
but a steady diet of games with 10-12 carries and five or so targets
may be just the role that allows him to fulfill his promise. As
a player who will be a "young" 21 years of age this
season (birthday is July 21) and has plenty of untapped upside
as a receiver, Brooks stands a great chance of being the best
running back in this draft class if he finds a team willing to
embrace his unique skill set.
Doug Orth has written for FFToday since 2006 and been featured
in USA TODAY's Fantasy Football Preview magazine since 2010. He
is also a high-stakes player who often appears as a guest analyst
on a number of national sports radio shows, such as Sirius XM’s
“Fantasy Drive." Doug is also a member of the Fantasy
Sports Writers Association.
