Karl Brooks NFL Draft Profile and Scouting Report
Karl Brooks NFL Draft Profile
2023 NFL Draft Measurements
Karl Brooks 40-Yard Dash Time – 5.10 (estimate)
6’4” / 300 lbs.
Karl Brooks NFL Draft Profile
Karl Brooks is a former 2-star recruit out of Lansing Sexton High School in Lansing, Michigan. Although he was not recognized nationally as a good high school talent, he had a great career at Lansing Sexton. BGSUFalcons said he had more than 100 tackles, 12 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles. These stats also earned him first-team all-conference and 2nd team all-state After not receiving much recognition while in high school, Brooks decided to take his talent to Bowling Green.
Brooks wasted no time when he arrived in Bowling Green. As a true freshman, he had 32 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. Brooks led the Falcons in sacks and had the 2nd-most tackles for loss. Fast-forward to this season, Brooks was one of the best defensive linemen in the nation. According to ESPN, he had 49 total tackles, 10 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 3 pass deflections. After this amazing season, Pro Football Focus voted him to be a First-Team All-American. He also earned first-team all-conference honors and earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl.
Strengths
First Step
Karl Brooks has an incredible get off out of both a 2 and 3-point stance. When lined up in a 3-point stance he does a good job of exploding forward off the snap. This allows him to engage in contact and knock blockers onto their heels. He also has good lateral agility, which allows him to move around the tackle after knocking them back. When lined up in a 2-point stance, he loses a bit of his explosiveness, but still has enough to do his job.
Power
The one part of Brooks’ game that stands out the most is his power. As I just mentioned, when the ball is snapped he does a good job of knocking blockers back. This is due to the tremendous power that he possesses in both his upper and lower body. After knocking the blocker off-balance, he uses his violent hands to move them out of the way. I even saw a few snaps of him throwing offensive linemen to the ground.
The most effective pass rush move that he possesses is the bull rush. Although he has below-average arm length, he does a good job of getting his hands in the right position to drive blockers back into the pocket. Brooks also does a good job of using his size and strength to draw double teams. Although this often takes him out of play, it allows his teammates to make a stop.
Pass Rush Moves
As I just mentioned his most effective pass rush move is the bull rush. But, that is not the only move that he has in his arsenal. Throughout his rush, he has very active hands which allows him to fight away the blocker’s hands. This allows him to get his hands in the right position to move the blocker out of the way and make a play on the ball.
Although Brooks lacks the body lean and athleticism to consistently win around the edge, he does a good job of working back to the inside. This is because he has a very good swim move that allows him to force the lineman to overextend. Then he keeps his outside hip close to the lineman’s inside him allowing him to swing his outside arm over the blocker. When this is done correctly, he will have nothing but green grass between him and the QB.
Brooks is also very effective when performing stunts/twists to confuse the offensive line. As a defensive end, his job is to normally take on the tackle or furthest outside blocker. On stunt plays, he is now assigned to penetrate the B gap. When the ball is snapped, Brooks shows good lateral agility to quickly get to the inside before the tackle engages in contact. Once he reaches the guard, he does a good job of using one of his pass rush moves to penetrate the pocket.
Weaknesses
Athleticism
Although Karl Brooks shows good lateral agility when lined up on the outside, he lacks the athleticism to consistently stop the runner. When running the arc, he has below-average body lean which hinders his ability to bend the edge and win on the outside. This is why a majority of the time he tries to win by cutting back to the inside.
After shedding a block, I noticed that Brooks lacks the overall athleticism to pursue the ball carrier. This is because he has a tendency to drag his feet which negatively impacts his top speed and ability to stop the ball carrier. At the NFL Scouting Combine, I don’t expect any of the agility drills to stand out. But, I can see him rising up draft boards after participating in position-specific drills.
Karl Brooks NFL Draft Stock
After watching his film, I was impressed with the impact that Brooks consistently has on the field. This would lead me to think that he could go in the 3rd round. But, he did not face many talented teams in college. This makes me question if he will have the same impact in the NFL that he did in college. So, he will likely get drafted in the 4th round.
Final Thoughts on Karl Brooks
Karl Brooks is very talented at stopping the run and rushing the QB. He has a very explosive get off that allows him to engage in contact first and knock blockers onto their heels. Brooks also has very active hands that allow him to move blockers where he wants them to be. His variety of pass-rush moves allows him to be unpredictable with his pass-rush plan. The only major concern that I have surrounding Brooks’ game is his below-average athleticism and ability to make plays in open field. In the NFL, Brooks would be best fit as a 4-3 defensive end. The team that I think he would be perfect for is the Chicago Bears.
Karl Brooks Player Comparison
Karl Brooks reminds me a lot of rookie defensive end Haskell Garrett. The only major difference between the two is Brooks has a bigger variety of pass-rush moves.
Karl Brooks NFL Draft Player Profile and Scouting Report Analyst – Matthew Lewis
