Brooks barely got a chance to run the ball as a rookie, and the 16 carries for 45 yards were not exactly a highlight reel. He still helped on returns and coverage, which kept him useful while he learned the offense. I am at a five for now. The Texas Tech version was a tough, patient runner who stacked 100-yard games and wore defenses down, but we have not seen that translate against NFL fronts yet. He has the build to handle dirty work behind Chase Brown; now he needs to create more than what the blocking gives him when those carries come.
Strengths: Brooks has a compact 220-pound frame, good contact balance and the patience to let interior blocks develop. Seven special-teams tackles and kickoff-return work showed he will contribute outside the offensive rotation.
Weaknesses: His rookie rushing average was only 2.8 yards, and he has not shown much explosive-play ability at this level. Receiving volume was almost nonexistent, so his third-down usefulness remains uncertain.
