Bucs Bring In Running Back Jonathon Brooks
April 8th, 2024
Texas RB Jonathon Brooks visited Bucs today.
Joe can’t blame Jonathon Brooks for not getting many touches the previous two seasons.
The Longhorns running back in 2021 and 2022 was in a logjam. Just ahead of him on the Texas depth chart was some dude named “Bijan Robinson.”
Brooks would have bad to be Ricky Williams-like or perhaps the second coming of Earl Campbell to battle Robinson for carries. Robinson was the best running back in college football two years ago.
Once Robinson went to the NFL, Brooks blew up. Blew up so much that the Bucs brought him in today to One Buc Palace, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, as one of the team’s 30 official visits.
Brooks is an all-purpose guy. He can run, of course, and he can catch. He was a key cog helping lead the Longhorns to advance to the college football semifinals.
While the WalterFootball.com crowd has Brooks as the No. 3 back in the draft, Emory Hunt of CBS is not as sold. In his Football Gameplan 2024 Draft Guide, Hunt has Brooks listed as his No. 13 running back.
Apparently, Hunt is spooked by Brooks’ knee injury late in the season.
Strengths:
– Good overall acceleration to be a chunk play threat. Shows an ability to tap into another gear once he finds an open lane.
– Has that ability to make that extra move within a confined space to make the defender miss and to gain access to a few more yards. Very innate ability and is consistent with that.
– Solid interior runner who has a good feel for run game, also makes him valuable around the goal line as well.Areas of Improvement:
– Will have to work on getting stronger in his lower half, as his balance is affected upon contact. Gets chopped down far too often.
– Lateral agility is just about the average mark. You’ll see him at times needing to stop both feet to make a lateral cut, as opposed to just springing from east to west.
– Pass pro technique will need to be refined. Has a tendency to throw his shoulder into every block.
– Coming off of a late torn ACL
Yeah, the knee is a concern. But here are some more stats on Brooks:
Brooks ran for 1,139 yards last year, or 6.1 yards a carry. Per the PFF tribe, Of those 1,139 yards, Brooks had 732 yards after contact. He forced 63 missed tackles.
Brooks is expected to be a Day 2 selection. So yeah, Joe thinks the Bucs have a chance to get Brooks picking at No. 57.
Would Joe like to see the Bucs grab a running back who can do something after contact? Hell yes. Rachaad White, who may have been misused last year, is awful in yards after contact. His average yards after contact per carry was No. 50 in the NFL last season.
😱Jonathan Brooks RB1?🤔
🔥🔥1st Yards Per Pass Route (4.82)
🔥2nd in Broken Tackle % (47.5)
🔥2nd in Yards after Contact (4.60)
🔥2nd in Explosive % (5.2)🏆THE BEST pass catching RB in the NFL Draft💯
📲Follow me for DAILY stats on your favorite team/players#NFLDraft2024 pic.twitter.com/C8ZtNiBsYn
— Stafa Vision (@StafaVision) April 6, 2024
April 8th, 2024 at 3:36 pm
“Will have to work on getting stronger in his lower half, as his balance is affected upon contact.”
we already have one of those.. we need an mjd clone
April 8th, 2024 at 3:40 pm
I’m not sure how effective he’d be in year 1 while still recovering from the ACL. I’d hate to not get 2 immediate starters out of the first 2 rounds.
April 8th, 2024 at 3:52 pm
Dime a dozen
April 8th, 2024 at 3:57 pm
Best RB in the draft b4 the injury. He was pretty much Bijan. Can pass block , fast and break tackles. Not a dime a dozen, but an elite RB. Worth a risk
April 8th, 2024 at 4:05 pm
If I had to choose the draft picks I’d have ulcers the Sive of gold balls.
April 8th, 2024 at 4:09 pm
Too much like White. Would rather have the Kentucky RB who’s a better runner than anything
April 8th, 2024 at 4:10 pm
Need a Power RB – Davis, Allen or Estime. All should be available in the 3rd round.
April 8th, 2024 at 4:16 pm
i completely forgot Texas made the CFP this year.. And that game ruled
April 8th, 2024 at 4:30 pm
No thanks. Don’t want any of these skinny a$$ running backs; need bull who can punish people & move the pile in short-yardage situations to complement Rachaad.
Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen (6’1″ & 235 lbs) averaged 6.8 YPC on 2021 (with 1268 yards), then 5.4 YPC in 2022 (with 1242 yards & 12 IDs), plus 5.4. YPC in 2023 (with 984 yards & 12 IDs). Plus he also had 28 receptions for 131 yards on top of that. Listed with a 4.56 sec 40 time. Mr Consistent.
April 8th, 2024 at 4:49 pm
Seems too similar to Rachaad IMHO
April 8th, 2024 at 4:56 pm
Not too sure on Brooks. A grade 3 tear could take a year to fully recover.
April 8th, 2024 at 5:00 pm
I’d like the Bucs to draft a RB1 who has vision, elusiveness, breaks tackles, and gets YAC. It’s time to draft a top RB and great IOL players to have a decent run game.
White is a great receiver and acts like a power back by running with his head down and running 2-3 yards, but no more. Coen runs a wide-mid zone scheme and White is not the guy for that, and I’m not sure a typical power back fits the scheme.
Because of injuries there will be a wide difference of opinion of Latu and Brooks, and one could slide to the Bucs. The Bucs will look closely at the combine medical exams and maybe their own.
April 8th, 2024 at 5:01 pm
“Balance is affected upon contact” the clip shows otherwise and 2nd in broken tackles, 2nd in yards after contact says otherwise. I feel most of the analysis this team of year is junk. GMs and agents are doing everything they can to influence the draft.
April 8th, 2024 at 5:41 pm
I watched a little film of this guy – he reminds me of Rachaad White.
Similar build and running styles plus he is a solid receiver…
He wouldn’t be a bad RB2 – but I’m a little concerned about his injury – already a torn ACL and it happened only 5 months ago.
April 8th, 2024 at 5:41 pm
I like marshawn lloyd late 3rd or 4th rnd…and he is a high character person
April 8th, 2024 at 5:49 pm
#WWSSD?
What would Sean Sullivan Do?
April 8th, 2024 at 5:55 pm
The Bucs sent out an email saying that YOU could win a trip to Detroit for the draft….
Who in the world would willingly ever want to go to Detroit for anything?
April 8th, 2024 at 5:58 pm
It’s too bad they don’t have any actual Bucs fan working in the marketing department and it’s just ran by a bunch of women, because you could have some fun with that contest.
Personally I’d make the trip about visiting the site of The Silverdome, where you’d get a chance to meet Wayne Haddix and celebrate his 3 INTs / 2 TD game there in 1990. Also in that game we learn from Terry Bradshaw, who is doing color in the game, that Vinny is colorblind – a big scandal. Also you’d get some 1990 Bucs Zumba pants as part of the contest. Now that would get me wanting to enter.
April 8th, 2024 at 6:59 pm
Scott Says:
April 8th, 2024 at 4:09 pm
unbelievable Says:
April 8th, 2024 at 4:49 pm
Marine Buc Says:
April 8th, 2024 at 5:41 pm
Seems to me you’re not watching the same video as me, or you just enjoy reflexively taking the contrary position.
What I see is a guy who is quicker and slipperier, breaks tackles and doesn’t appear to avoid contact, in addition to being a more instinctive runner.
NFL dot com list these as his strengths:
NFL-caliber accelerator as an outside runner.
Flows through run lanes with excellent bend and quickness.
Slick feet allow him to make light work of stacking cuts and moves.
Outstanding spatial awareness to create maximum work space as a runner.
Usually avoids unnecessary moves and finishes runs when it’s time.
Good hands and great post-catch wiggle create added value for offenses.
Also, many places have him ranked as the best back in the draft, before the ACL.
From what I can see, he’d instantly (or as soon as he’s 100%) be our RB1, especially on run downs. I’m not saying I’d taking him in round 1, just saying that the Ra WHite comparisons don’t make a lot of sense to me.
April 8th, 2024 at 7:15 pm
I’ll defer to JL and staff. If they like the guy at 57 so do I.
April 8th, 2024 at 7:15 pm
he runs so straight up…
give me a guy with more wiggle and a lower center of gravity…
oh yeah………….and earl campbell thighs
April 8th, 2024 at 7:16 pm
I dunno. I’d go to detroit for the nfl draft. Just so i could meet goodell and piss all over his shoes for how he allowed the rules to change determining what a catch is when the nfl had it rite all along…. For so many years. What a jack wagon.
April 8th, 2024 at 7:43 pm
Another Rachaad White but with a bum leg.
You’ve got to give Joe his due—he keeps the content coming!
April 8th, 2024 at 7:49 pm
Yeah he must really suck if Jason is bringing him in for a visit.
April 8th, 2024 at 7:57 pm
take a look at Isaac Guerendo. 6′, 221lbs and runs 4.33.
April 8th, 2024 at 10:53 pm
And don’t forget Belonzo Chantangrin.
April 9th, 2024 at 11:31 am
No chance the Bucs are drafting a RB in the first three rounds. Maybe round 6 or 7 but my bet is that they don’t draft one at all.
April 9th, 2024 at 9:39 pm
This is the kind of rb Jason likes to draft and I can’t stand them. He is a straight line runner and thinks he’s a power back, however he doesn’t actually break tackles cause he’s 195 lb. And is really just another slot receiver. His highlights are just him running through wide open holes.
I’ll take Wisconsins RB all day over him. I like my backs to get squatty and low in the hole, they need to have some wiggle and use their vision.
April 10th, 2024 at 5:55 am
No thanks