NBA Postseason Best Bets (5/14)
Alex Christenson
Last Updated: 11/13/2023
Jonathon Brooks was buried behind Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson for his entire career entering 2023, leaving little film to go off. He did manage to produce an impressive 6.6 yards per attempt and six touchdowns before this year. This year, he has been the guy and was very impressive in the lead role prior to tearing his right ACL in Week 11. This will make it impossible to compete during the combine or All-Star games this draft cycle. Pair this with a limited profile and lack of combine numbers and his draft stock will likely be drastically affected and could result in Brooks returning to school next season.
He does have a touch of a leaner frame and is somewhat lengthy. As a result, he does have a more upright running style. This also gives him a longer stride, which allows him to run away from defenders even though he does not accelerate the quickest. He does move smoothly within his breaks and can adjust laterally well when needed, which is a plus as some lengthy backs tend to lack this. Brooks also plays more physically than his 204 pounds would lead you to believe, hardly shying away from contact. On the flip side, he struggles to win the leverage battle sometimes due to poor pad level and a lack of “pop” behind his pads. Even with this, he does display good tackle-breaking ability and contact balance to bounce off tacklers who fail to wrap him up.
Brooks has plus vision, especially when it comes to identifying the cutback lanes and creating once into the second and third level of defenses. This vision allows him to turn any play into a house call. He marries this with plus patience which allows more cutback lanes to open. He also displays an above-average ability to use defenders’ leverage against them setting them up and then taking advantage of their mistakes.
As a pass catcher, he is above average and looks comfortable making catches and transitioning to a runner. He has been asked to line up out wide at times and run a variety of routes. His skill with the ball in his hands allows him to create immense amounts of yards after the catch. A skill that can be overlooked is pass blocking and he should not be. He is not a brick wall, but he attacks and moves his feet well while driving defenders past the quarterback. This will help him get on the field.
- Speed
- Pass catching
- Patience
- Pad level
- Ball Security
- Elusiveness
- None
- 40-yard dash: TBD
- Vertical: TBD
- Broad Jump: TBD
- Three-cone: TBD
- Shuttle: TBD
- Bench: TBD
- Three-down committee back
- Wide/Interior Zone
There is a huge range of outcomes for Brooks, as we have only seen him as a full-time starter this season. He could be this draft class’ Trey Sermon, or he could be the next great fantasy running back. I lean toward the latter. I think he has upside and potential to be a three-down contributor but also can see him being paired with a bruiser to complement and limit his exposure to the wear and tear. Brooks’ value will also depend heavily on where he lands in the draft and what hurdles he will need to conquer.
