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| Brooks was a tackling machine at Texas Tech |
The Rundown
Measurables
- Height: 6'0"
- Weight: 240 lbs
- Arm Length: 32 7/8"
- Hand Size: 9 1/8"
Combine Numbers
- 40-Yd Dash: 4.54 seconds
- DNP for remaining tests (Had recently come off a shoulder surgery)
Accomplishments
- Totaled 367 career tackles (7th in school history), leading the team in 3 different seasons (2016, 2018, & 2019)
- Named First Team All-Big 12 and Second Team All-American in 2019
- 20 tackles for loss in 2019
- Generated 44 pressures on 86 pass rush attempts in 2019
Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9QYzOIAMiU
What He Brings to The Table
- Sideline-to-Sideline Range: Once he gets a bead on the ball, it's full steam ahead. Brooks has a downhill mentality as a defender, and consistently showed great burst and acceleration when attacking the football. This was especially evident against the run, as he had the speed and agility to pursue plays across the field and chase down ball carriers. His speed was also put to great use in his role as a blitzer, as it allowed him to quickly knife through gaps and bring pressure to the QB.
- Instincts: It's one thing to have speed, but another to effectively utilize it. Brooks was typically quick to read the development of running plays, particularly inside gap and outside zone runs. Trusting his eyes, he also had the speed and aggression to close to the football in a hurry, as indicated by his 20 TFLs. He shows good anticipation of running lanes, and has the lateral twitch to follow the RB's track while sliding underneath climbing blockers.
- Tackling: Brooks already displays sound tackling form, and brings some pop behind his pads. Brooks often wrapped and turned players to get defensive stops, opting instead to secure the tackle rather than attempt a highlight-worthy hit. He does occasionally come into tackles more upright than one would like, but there were few of these lapses throughout his tape. This will be a welcome sight on defense, as the Seahawks had uncharacteristic tackling issues in 2019.
Areas of Potential Concern
- Coverage Ability: The big question that many had for Brooks after his selection. Curiously, his primary role was as a QB spy at the MIKE in 2019, which primarily tasked him with reading and reacting to the passer and applying pressure when needed (A role that I do not believe maximized his abilities). In previous seasons, he pulled duty as an OLB, where he flashed the ability to match up on TEs and carry them up the seam. The few times he dropped back and sat in zone, he looked a bit lost in space and did not show a good feel for receivers entering his area. While he may not be bad in zone coverage, he is inexperienced in doing so. The lack of fluidity he showed in zone was in stark contrast to the way he played the run. I believe Brooks would benefit from getting more reps in zone coverage, as he certainly has the physical tools to be capable there.
- Run Fit Discipline: Brooks is already a solid run defender, but there are aspects he could stand to improve upon. He usually relied on his athleticism to skirt around lineman rather than bringing the fight to them, and did not show much hand usage to disengage and shed blocks. This worked against him on some occasions, where he would lose his gap assignment trying to work around blocks, or allow running lanes to widen because he was slow to attack blockers.
Thoughts on Projection
Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright are the established starters at LB, with Cody Barton likely the #3 coming into the upcoming season. Brooks has played both inside and out as a LB, but his best fit to start out with is probably at the WILL spot. Brooks does not currently have the ability to quickly disengage from blocks, and would likely have a tough time early on playing SAM at the LOS. He is at his best when he can read and react to plays using his speed, which playing off the ball would allow him to do. I would expect him start by challenging Barton for snaps in base defense, or spelling K.J. on Nickel downs.
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