Pros and cons of Carolina Panthers picking Texas football’s Jonathon Brooks in NFL draft
On Friday evening, Jonathon Brooks became a Panther.
Carolina selected Brooks in the second round of the NFL draft on Friday night. He was the 46th overall pick. Brooks is a six-foot, 216-pound running back who spent the past three seasons at Texas.
Texas has now had three running backs selected in the past two drafts. Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson were first- and fourth-round picks in 2023.
What Brooks brings to Carolina in 2024 NFL draft
A backup for his first two years at Texas, Brooks shined once he was named a starter in 2023. His season ended by a knee injury on Nov. 11, but his 1,139 yards still ranked among the top-30 rushers in the country.
NFL.com ranked Brooks as the No. 1 running back in this draft class. Like Robinson last year, Brooks was the first running back drafted this year.
Brooks strengths, weaknesses at Texas
On its list of pros and cons for Brooks, NFL.com praised the running back's ability to accelerate and footwork. After averaging 11.4 yards over his 25 catches in 2023, Brooks' hands are also considered an asset.
Among NFL.com's concerns? The website wrote that Brooks is "still learning to press the hole and set up blockers on zone runs" and that his "power into and through contact is just average." Brooks is also still recovering from his injury.
Brooks was compared by NFL.com to former Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles, who also played at Texas.
Brooks stats with Texas
Despite Brooks essentially missing four games − he got to take the field for the kneel down in the Big 12 championship game − those 1,139 rushing yards rank 14th in the UT record books. If you exclude the championship cameo, Brooks averaged 113.9 yards per game and that would have been the third-best mark in the conference.
Brooks was still a second-team honoree on the Big 12's all-conference team. He picked up at least one vote for the conference's offensive player of the year award.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Carolina drafts Jonathon Brooks in 2024 NFL Draft: Pros, cons of pick
