by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of Houston Chronicle.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Texas, Running Back, Jonathon Brooks
Name- Jonathon Brooks
Pos- Running Back
Team- Texas
HT/WT- 6’0” 207 lbs.
Born- 7/21/2003
Home – Hallettsville, TX
Jonathon Brooks had a very productive high school career and produced video game type numbers for Hallettsville High School. He ran for 3,530 yards and 62 touchdowns during his senior year and had 4,054 all-purpose yards. He was named Mr. Texas High School Football Player of the Year for those gaudy numbers. Brooks wasted no time committing to the University of Texas and playing football close to home.
Brooks played 4 games in his freshman season, running the ball 21 times for 143 yards and 1 touchdown. Last season as a redshirt freshman, he played in 7 games and rushed the ball 30 times for 197 yards and 5 touchdowns.
With the starting job his for the taking, Brooks was named preseason third team All-Big 12. He’s having a stellar season for the Longhorns, and is 7th in the country in rushing yards with 825 and 7 touchdowns total for the 6-1 Texas squad. He also has been productive as a pass catcher out of the backfield and has hauled in 18 passes.
Brooks can hit the edge quickly and is a great open field runner. He has wide receiver hands and runs good crisp routes out of the backfield, and can be lined up in the slot at the next level like Detroit Lion Jahmyr Gibbs. He has the athleticism to return kicks and does a good job of exploding through holes, even though he lacks the homerun speed. He has a solid frame and is big enough to lower pads and put a hit on the opponent. His size and strength allow him to break tackles and his cutting ability has left defenders reaching.
In the past, Brooks has been slow to hit holes but has improved dramatically this season. He still waits too long for blocks to gel and he will take losses in the backfield. He has good speed but lacks the big play ability of other top prospects. He is rising up draft boards but may improve his draft stock by coming back for one more year.
Watching film of Jonathon Brooks, Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard makes an interesting comparison. Pollard was a 4th round pick in 2019 out of Memphis and has had a nice start to his career. Pollard, like Brooks, uses his phenomenal pass catching skills to help his team on most series.
Strengths
Vision
Cutting ability
Hands
Athleticism
Weaknesses
Breakaway speed
Indecisive
One year of production
Final Analysis
Jonathon Brooks has gone from a late round mention to jumping almost instantly into the middle rounds and he may not stop there. As with several other prospects, he will have to decide if it is worth coming back for another season or cashing in on his big season.
Draft 412 Draft Projection - Round 4