Welcome Tahj Brooks

[Joelist]

I had him (and Fairchild and Knight) mocked to us pre draft. Fills a gap we've had for a while - a true big power downhill bruiser of a back. And as a bonus he does have a bit of giddyup also so he can get chunk plays.

[sandwedge]

(04-26-2025, 08:51 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Physical back that is for sure, with great burst. Not a bad thing trimming down before the draft either. 

Tahj Brooks cutback ability is new to our RB room.

His jump cuts are pretty killer. He does have some speed too

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(04-26-2025, 09:24 PM)sandwedge Wrote: His jump cuts are pretty killer. He does have some speed too

For sure, Chase Brown could learn something from Tahj and his cut backs. It helps giving you another second to pick a spot to hit when running.

Special trait in a RB we haven't had until Tahj Brooks.

[EatonFan]

(04-26-2025, 07:03 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: I was worried all the RBs I had looked at and liked were gone.

I didn't spend any time looking into Tahj Brooks until now. Damn. I'm excited. He is built like a NFL RB. He is a bowling ball with jukes and vision and burst. Love it.

Reminds me a bit like Mixon with his jump cutting style.

[XsandOs]

(04-26-2025, 09:00 PM)Joelist Wrote: I had him (and Fairchild and Knight) mocked to us pre draft. Fills a gap we've had for a while - a true big power downhill bruiser of a back. And as a bonus he does have a bit of giddyup also so he can get chunk plays.

What rounds and did you post this on this board? I ask because once beyond the second round, its very difficult to tell.

I don't think many if anyone thought Knight would go in the second round. 

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(04-26-2025, 09:34 PM)EatonFan Wrote: Reminds me a bit like Mixon with his jump cutting style.

Except Tahj hits the hole faster and the edge faster and is much more consistent as a runner with better vision.

But yeah, Mixon has the jump cut.

[Bilbo Saggins]

(04-26-2025, 09:38 PM)XsandOs Wrote: What rounds and did you post this on this board? I ask because once beyond the second round, its very difficult to tell.

I don't think many if anyone thought Knight would go in the second round. 

I heard Geoff Hobson predict Knight in the second. It was on a show with Dehner Jr.

[Joelist]

(04-26-2025, 10:10 PM)Bilbo Saggins Wrote: I heard Geoff Hobson predict Knight in the second. It was on a show with Dehner Jr.

I'm trying to find my post. I had Knight usually in 3, Fairchild in 4 and Brooks 6. Like many of the analysts I did not see what happened coming - that the teams all were valuing OL and LB about a full round higher than most analysts. 

[XsandOs]

(04-26-2025, 10:23 PM)Joelist Wrote: I'm trying to find my post. I had Knight usually in 3, Fairchild in 4 and Brooks 6. Like many of the analysts I did not see what happened coming - that the teams all were valuing OL and LB about a full round higher than most analysts. 

Good call!

[*Synric*]

Here is Dane Brugler's write up about Tahj Brooks.

Quote:BACKGROUND: Tahj Brooks, who has a sister (Ceecee), was born and raised just outside of Austin, Texas, with his parents (Kevin and Tif f ani). He attended elementary school at Texas on the Forty Acres before attending Manor for middle school, where his family has deep roots. Brooks grew up playing multiple sports and riding horses. He started football as a running back at the pee-wee level and, because of his size, often played up a level in youth football. He played for an all-star team at age 12, then for the Outlaws in middle school. In high school, Brooks competed in 7-on-7 with Juice Football.

Brooks enrolled at Manor High, where he was teammates with Tyler Guyton, a first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 2024 NFL Draft. He cracked the varsity roster as a freshman running back and linebacker and posted 259 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Brooks became a bell-cow back as a sophomore and earned all-district honors with 1,150 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, adding 13 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown grab. He again earned all-district honors as a junior with 1,201 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, adding 17 catches for 267 yards.
Brooks enjoyed his best season as a senior, as he led Manor to eight wins — the first winning season during his four years in high school. He posted 1,807 rushing yards in 2019 on 239 carries (7.6 average) and 26 total touchdowns, finishing his prep career with 4,417 rushing yards.

A three-star recruit, Brooks was the 45th-ranked running back in the 2020 recruiting class and the No. 81 recruit in Texas. Having grown up a few miles from the Texas campus, he was a Longhorns fan but did not receive an of f er from that program. After his sophomore season, he picked up his first scholarship of f ers from SMU and Tulsa. Brooks initially committed to Tulsa in August 2018, but his recruitment started to take of f following his junior campaign, including then-Power 5 of f ers from Arkansas, Boston College, Duke, Iowa State, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, TCU and Utah.

He decommitted from Tulsa (May 2019) and took several visits before committing to Texas Tech (June 2019). Brooks was the fifth-ranked recruit in the Red Raiders' 2020 class (two spots behind receiver Ja'Lynn Polk). He took advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic and returned for a fifth season. A three-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 member, Brooks graduated with a degree in sport management with a 3.56 GPA (Dec. 2023) and was named the 2024 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He opted out of Texas Tech's 2024 bowl game and accepted his invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl.

STRENGTHS:
● Compactly built with excellent strength in lower half
● Runs stout and balanced to shake of f half-assed tackle attempts
● Produces yards after contact with leg churn/foot turnover
● Quick lateral jukes to sidestep front-facing pursuit
● Displays run patience and tempo, both inside and outside
● Quick to drop his weight and redirect against the grain (reflects impressive three-cone time)
● Steady hands as a receiver and will work in occasional wheel/seam route
● Batting average is strong in pass pro for a college back ● Workhorse mentality and tank rarely appears empty
● Voted a 2024 team captain; coaches praise his work ethic and character (Joey McGuire: "He's as good of a person as there is on this planet.")
● Finished career as Texas Tech's all-time leading rusher (4,560 yards), No. 4 in Big 12 history (behind Cedric Benson, Ricky Williams and Darren Sproles)  

WEAKNESSES:
● Quicker than fast (doesn't consistently play up to timed speed)
● Too easily tracked down by pursuit
● Average open-field elusiveness and not going to string together moves
● NFL linebackers will shut down edges when attempting to bounce outside
● Too patient at times between the tackles
● Ball security isn't a major concern, but it's something to clean up (five fumbles in past three seasons)
● Touched the ball almost 1,000 times over five years, including a school-record 879 carries  

SUMMARY: A four-year starter at Texas Tech, Brooks was a workhorse back in former of f ensive coordinator Zach Kittley's zone-based run scheme. The most prolific running back in school history, he posted back-to-back 1,500-yard seasons as a junior and senior and finished his career with 22 straight games of 95 rushing yards or more.

With his low center of gravity, Brooks runs with tempo and vision to navigate through bodies and the physicality to finish each run (usually after breaking a few tackles). Though his quickness is an asset, his lack of top-end acceleration put a cap on some of the ways he produced against Big 12 defenses.

Overall, Brooks won't be a fit for a team searching for a speed back, but his agility, contact balance and feel as a runner directly leads to rushing production. Even with worn treads, the dependability factor plays to his favor, because of his durability and reliability on third downs.

GRADE: 5th round