Running back Jonathon Brooks stayed in his home state to play college ball and he may not be leaving Texas to begin his NFL career, either.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that Brooks is expected to be a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft and that "some think it would be a surprise" if the Dallas Cowboys passed on him at No. 56.
Brooks ran for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns and caught 25 passes for 286 yards and one score as a junior at Texas. His season was cut short due to a torn ACL, an injury that has also adversely impact his draft stock.
Schefter wrote the 6'0", 216-pound ball-carrier "likely would have been the top running back selected, possibly in the middle or later portion of Round 1" were it not for the ACL tear.
Brooks is the No. 87 overall player and ranks fourth at his position in Bleacher Report's 2024 big board.
"Brooks can be a useful committee back in the NFL with a chance to develop into something more," B/R's Derrik Klassen wrote in his scouting report. "He has enough quickness and speed to be a weapon. Brooks isn't built like a true lead back, though, and he does not yet have the strength or decisiveness as a runner for that role.
One way or another you'd expect the Cowboys to leave the 2024 draft with at least one running back who can either contribute immediately or be positioned as a long-term solution.
After leading rusher Tony Pollard signed with the Tennessee Titans, Dallas has done nothing to meaningfully address its backfield. For now, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn are penciled in as the top two running backs.
The franchise had ample reason to believe in Pollard when the time came for him to supplant Ezekiel Elliott as the No. 1 option. He had averaged 5.1 yards per carry through his first three seasons and managed to gain more yards on fewer touches than Elliott in 2022.
Dowdle, on the other hand, had a relatively modest 361 yards and two touchdowns on 89 carries as the backup in 2023. Vaughn was used even more sparingly, getting 30 total touches and gaining 80 yards from scrimmage.
It would be surprising if the Cowboys, who once again have Super Bowl aspirations, don't bring anybody else in to compete for the starting job.
