2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Texas RB Jonathon Brooks

From now until the 2023 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Texas RB Jonathon Brooks

#24 JONATHON BROOKS, RB, TEXAS – (R-SOPHOMORE) 6000, 216 POUNDS

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

— Possesses good size and height for the position
— Has that pure speed and burst you look for at the position
— Can pull away from the defense when he gets into the open field, being a home-run threat
— Has the footwork to make quick adjustments and cut back to open space
— Runs through contact with his legs churning in attempt to pick up extra yardage
— Weaves through the defense with fluidity as he keeps his eyes on the end zone
— Is a willing blocker in pass protection
— Catches the ball well out of the backfield, having the coordination to make difficult catches
— Is a threat to get to the corner on outside runs
— Operates well in a one-cut as well as in zone-running schemes

THE BAD

— Can stand to add more functional mass and strength to his frame
— Vision can be better when making decisive cuts in space or up the middle
— Can be slow at times to process what is happening in front of him
— Lacks great contact balance and is often brought down on first contact
— Isn’t a powerful runner who breaks tackles routinely
— Needs to use his hands more and play with a better base in pass protection

BIO

— Redshirt Sophomore prospect from Hallettsville, Texas
— Born July 21, 2003 (age 20)
— Attended Hallettsville High School and had 3,530 yards and 62 touchdowns on 295 carries as a senior; also caught 15 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns
— Was the team’s starting punter in high school; also was a first-team All-District basketball player
— Rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals
— Touchdown celebration is in memory of his father, who passed away on March 28, 2022; flexes and taps the tattoo on his right arm of the date his father died
— Played in four games in 2021 and carried the ball 21 times for 143 yards and one touchdown; also caught one pass for 12 yards
— Played in seven games in 2022 and rushed 30 times for 197 yards and five touchdowns; also caught two passes for 37 yards and one touchdown
— Started 10 games in 2023 and rushed for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns along with 25 catches for 286 yards and one touchdown
— Tore his ACL in November against TCU, ending his 2023 season
— Physical culture and sports major, Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (fall of 2021, fall of 2022)
— All-Big 12 second team (2023)

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Jonathon Brooks had to wait his turn at Texas after stuffing the stat sheets as a senior in high school. He played behind Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson until the 2023 season where he was able to shine in a lead-back role for the Longhorns. His breakout season was cut short due to a torn ACL suffered in November, but Brooks did manage to eclipse 1,400 total yards of offense and 11 total touchdowns before declaring early for the 2024 NFL Draft.

When you pop in the tape on Brooks, you see an explosive, dynamic runner who has the juice to take nearly any carry to the house if he gets into open grass. Take a look at this run against Kansas where Brooks takes the handoff up the middle and gets into the second level untouched. Turning on the jets, he sprints to the end zone while leaving the rest of the defense in the dust.

In the same game, Brooks shows of his blend of speed and footwork on this carry from the shotgun. Taking the ball up the middle where he gets a one-on-one opportunity with the defensive back at the second level, he proceeds to shake him out of his boots with a hard jab step, juking the defender as he breaks into the open field. He starts to make his way to the sideline before getting tracked down from behind.

Brooks has a good feel as a one-cut runner, being able to hit the hole hard, make a cut in space, and hit the juice to accelerate once he gets into the open field. We see this in the clip below against Oklahoma after Brooks takes the handoff up the middle and approaches the safety in the middle of the field. Making a cut to his right, he evades the diving tackle attempt by the safety, picking up nearly an additional 20 yards before being dragged down from behind.

Brooks has the footwork to make impressive jump cuts laterally, covering ground and teleporting to a new gap when his eyes and feet are synced. Watch this rep where Brooks makes an explosive cut to his left to avoid the defender coming through the gap. Bouncing the run outside, he gets upfield and picks up an additional five yards before getting wrestled down to the ground.

Brooks is fairly lean when it comes to his frame as a runner, having room to pack on some more functional strength and mass. However, he does show aggressiveness as a runner to run behind his pads and keep his legs churning on contact to pick up additional yardage after contact. Watch this rep where Brooks gets to the outside and gets wrapped up by multiple defenders. He still fights to pick up a couple of extra yards at the end of the run before being wrestled to the ground.

Brooks has also shown that he’s a competent pass catcher, being able to make plays out in the flat as well as line up as a receiver and run routes. Watch this catch that Brooks makes against the Sooners with one hand as he jets out to the flat. Snagging the ball outside of his framework, he brings it back into his chest and nearly picks up the first down after the catch.

Brooks is also a willing pass protector, doing a good job looking for work and throwing his body into defenders. He can do a better job of punching with his hands and playing with a solid base in pass protection as you can see in the clip below against the Sooners, locating the defender and putting his shoulder into him. Still, Brooks manages to get the job done, getting hands on him at the end of the rep as the quarterback escapes the pocket toward the sideline.

While Brooks is an explosive back with the lateral quickness to shake defenders out of their boots, he needs to do a better job playing with his feet and eyes in sync. Too often will he have the opportunity to make a big cut but miss it as his vision can stand to improve. He also can stand to be better running after contact. It normally takes just one defender to bring him down, Brooks lacking the ideal contact balance to routinely either make the first defender miss or break arm tackles to pick up yards after contact.

CONCLUSION

Jonathon Brooks is a dynamic runner who would be a great fit as a one-cut runner in a zone-based system where he can work toward the sidelines, make one cut in space, and get off to the races thanks to his superior athleticism. He must continue to work on his vision and could stand to add more mass and strength to his frame, but his speed and explosiveness will be appealing to teams looking for a home-run threat in the backfield.

When coming up with a pro comparison for Brooks, Tevin Coleman came to mind as a back of nearly identical stature along with possessing the straight-line speed as a one-cut runner who could house carries from a distance during his time at Indiana as well as with the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers. Brooks may have better lateral quickness than Coleman, but both backs needed to improve from their vision to be considered more well-rounded, workhorse backs coming out of college.

Given what it has at the position and the fact that he’s rehabbing from a torn ACL, chances are low that Pittsburgh will have interest in selecting Brooks high in the draft. Still, he’s a talented runner who could take the league by storm if he goes to the right offense and is fully recovered by the time the 2024 season starts.

Projection: Day 2
Depot Draft Grade: 8.0MED – Potential Starter/Good Backup (Third Round)
Games Watched: vs Oklahoma (2023), vs Kansas (2023), at TCU (2023)