Jonathon Brooks — 2026 Fantasy Outlook

Brooks spent his first two seasons at Texas in a backup role, playing behind Bijan Robinson and seeing the ball just 54 times in 2021 and 2022. Even in that limited sample, he made his touches count, gaining 389 combined yards and seven touchdowns at an eye-opening 7.2 yards per touch. Once given the keys to the offense, Brooks didn't disappoint. Texas handed him 212 opportunities in 2023, and he responded with 1,425 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 25 catches across just 10 games. From his third game through his tenth, Brooks was remarkably consistent, averaging 159 yards and topping 100 combined yards in every outing. A torn right ACL in mid-November cut his breakout season short.

On tape, Brooks runs with patience, keeping his eyes up and waiting for lanes to develop at the line before exploding through them. That patience pairs well with home-run speed once he hits a crease. His hands graded out favorably despite a relatively small sample of receiving work, and while his pass protection was a work in progress, it's the kind of skill that typically improves with NFL reps.

The combination of explosiveness and third-down upside is what makes Brooks intriguing as a potential difference-maker for a high-profile offense. Over two seasons in the NFL, he’s gained 45 combined yards with three catches on 12 touches while rehabilitating two torn ACLs in his right knee.

I expect Brooks to work in a split role in the run game, while having the advantage on passing downs.