Here is our scouting report on running back Jonathon Brooks from Texas
Along with the list of prospects the Dallas Cowboys could target in next month’s NFL Draft, we take a look at Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks. Brooks is a very young prospect at just 20 years old and still has a lot of tread left on his tires.
Behind a group of talented Texas runners that included RoShon Johnson and Bijan Robinson, Brooks broke out in 2023, gaining 1,139 yards rushing and averaging 6.1 yards per carry.
Brooks tore his ACL against TCU last November, prematurely ending his season. But Brooks is recovering well and he expects to be back on the field at the start of training camp, he said. While many media outlets associate Brooks with the Cowboys, the film says the following about Brooks’ talent: Jonathan Brooks
RB – Texas Longhorns RS Sophomore 6 feet – 216 pounds Brooks’ running style is closer to his finesse runner than a slugger. He can easily set up arm tackles, allowing defenders to prepare for sudden lateral attacks, which is not surprising considering he is 180cm tall and weighs 90kg. Brooks is physical with his leg movement through contact with one or more defenders and fights for extra yards. Overall, he is a very good runner and can look for cutback lanes and read blocks well, as evidenced by his long touchdown run against TCU in 2023.
In terms of explosiveness, Brooks excels in short-range attacks, but he lacks the consistent long-range speed to elude defenses on a regular basis. As a receiver, Brooks does a good job of catching passes outside his body, often making the first player in space miss. At Texas, he didn’t have to run a variety of route trees, often focusing on passes on checkdowns, flats, and the occasional screen. He has very soft hands and could have untapped potential as a receiver in the backfield.
There are some concerns with Brooks as a pass protector. He often uses his shoulder to hit defenders, rather than hitting the incoming forward with his square body. Even coming out of the backfield, he misses edge rushers’ chip blocks more than expected. On the contrary, he understands where the free rusher is coming from and tries to accept the assignment.
Brooks’ analysis, patience in running and lateral movement is somewhat reminiscent of Le’Veon Bell, as is the effortless gliding of his movements with the ball in his hands. As for the Cowboys, they are pretty much locked into a by-committee running approach.
The team re-signed Rico Doodle and Deuce Vaughn is still involved in some capacity. The addition of Brooks gave the Cowboys an interesting prospect in which they could slowly develop a player who could develop into a future starter. I feel like Brooks is too rich for the Cowboys at pick No. 56, but don’t expect Brooks to be available for the Cowboys’ third-round pick. It all depends on how strongly the Cowboys want to keep the Texas runner in-state.
