Carolina Panthers select Jonathon Brooks in second round of 2024 NFL Draft
Because of a recovering knee injury, Jonathon Brooks didn’t get to work out for scouts ahead of the NFL Draft. Still, the Carolina Panthers selected the former Texas star in the second round.
Carolina moved up to select Brooks. Carolina traded picks No. 52, 142 and 155 in order to move up to 46.
Brooks tore his ACL in November, in week 11 of the Longhorns season. Until the injury, Brooks was on his way to possibly the Doak Walker Award and All-American honors.
He had been known as Bijan Robinson’s backup prior to last season. Of course, Robinson, at pick No. 8, was the first running back to go in last year’s NFL Draft.
Brooks, other than the knee injury, doesn’t have much wear and tear on his body. His big season was in 2023 when he carried the ball 187 times. He gained 1,139 yards, averaging 6.1 a carry, while scoring 10 touchdowns. Through his first 10 games, Brooks’ rushing totals ranked sixth nationally.
Coming out of Halletsville, Texas, Brooks was a four-star recruit. But he wasn’t a high-profile one. The On3 Industry average had him as the 21st best running back prospect in the country. He also ranked 46th overall in the state of Texas.
What NFL Draft experts are saying about Jonathon Brooks
Mel Kiper, ESPN’s NFL Draft guru, ranked the former Longhorn as the top back on his board.
“Jonathon Brooks, to me, is the best back in the draft, just based on ability,” Kiper said earlier this month. “He had the ACL on Nov. 11, when is he back? We don’t know that. How much of a factor will he be this year?
“Had he not been hurt – and I’m not a running back in the first round kind of guy – I would have had early to mid second.”
Lance Zierlein, a draft analyst for NFL.com, compared Brooks to former Longhorn and Kansas City Chiefs star Jamaal Charles.
“Brooks’ limited collegiate carries could be seen as a balancing agent against the fact he’s coming off an ACL tear.,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s agile and smooth working from cut to cut and is likely to improve his feel for reading blocks and setting up defenders as he gains experience.
“Brooks has the wiggle and know-how to create yardage in tight quarters or in space but is efficient finishing runs when it’s time. He has good burst but can be a little hesitant to punch the gas between the tackles until he sees clear points of entry. And he isn’t a physical run finisher. Brooks is a runner on an upward trajectory. He’s a good pass catcher with three-down potential who should fit nicely as an early starter for zone-heavy teams.”