Carolina Panthers draft Jonathon Brooks: How he fits, pick grade and scouting intel

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Carolina Panthers draft Jonathon Brooks: How he fits, pick grade and scouting intel

The Carolina Panthers selected running back Jonathon Brooks at No. 46 in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Texas star will join a running back group highlighted by Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders.

Brooks, 20, follows in the footsteps of former Longhorns standout Bijan Robinson (No. 8 overall in 2023) as the first running back selected in their respective draft classes.

The 6-foot, 216-pound tailback only played one season as the primary back, given Robinson’s presence, and thrived. But his 2023 season was cut short when he sustained a torn ACL, limiting him to 11 games.

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‘The Beast’ breakdown

Brooks ranked No. 48 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:

Brooks is a springy, balanced athlete with a feel for lane development and the elusive traits to create his own yardage, both at the line of scrimmage and on the second level. Stylistically, he reminds me of Kenyan Drake, although Brooks has much better vision and big-play potential (assuming he returns to his pre-knee injury form).

Why he’s a second-round pick

Brooks bided his time in Austin behind Robinson and Roschon Johnson seeing limited action his first two years. But once he got on the field, he shined, rushing for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns before his season ended with the knee injury. “Brooks doesn’t have the pop in his pads that (other backs) do,” Diante Lee wrote shortly after Brooks’ injury,  “but he wins with a kind of smooth and slippery style reminiscent of Arian Foster.”

Certainly teams would have had concerns about his health after he was unable to participate in on-field, pre-draft workouts, but given his selection here, it’s apparent the Panthers felt good about his long-term outlook. 

Come back shortly for more analysis of the Jonathon Brooks pick. 


(Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)