The Carolina Panthers continue to make surrounding Bryce Young with weapons a priority. Friday night the team traded their 52nd 2nd round pick and picks #142 and #155 in the 5th round to select Texas running back Jonathon Brooks with the 46th pick in the 2nd round.
Brooks, a three-year running back who played in 22 games with eight starts, rushed for 1,139 yards in 2023 – the 14th-most in program history – on 187 carries (6.1 ypc) and 10 touchdowns. He was a 2023 Doak Walker Award semifinalist and named a 2023 finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award. Jonathon was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team in 2023 by the conference coaches and the Associated Press and is a a two-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (fall 2021, fall 2022).
Strengths (According to NFL.com)
- Tires should be full of tread, given that he has just 238 collegiate carries to his name.
- NFL-caliber accelerator as an outside runner.
- Flows through run lanes with excellent bend and quickness.
- Slick feet allow him to make light work of stacking cuts and moves.
- Outstanding spatial awareness to create maximum work space as a runner.
- Usually avoids unnecessary moves and finishes runs when it’s time.
- Good hands and great post-catch wiggle create added value for offenses.
Weaknesses (According to NFL.com)
- Suffered torn ACL in November that ended his season.
- Still learning to press the hole and set up blockers on zone runs.
- Needs to run with more pace in choosing his lanes against pro speed.
- Power into and through contact is just average.
- Will need to square up rushers and limit lead-shoulder block approach.
HEIGHT:Â 6’0″
WEIGHT:Â 216
HAND: 9¼”
ARM: 31½”
WINGSPAN:Â 75â…ž”
