LaMiles Brooks Among Top Five Returning Safeties for 2023 According To PFF

Brooks is set for a big 2023 season for Georgia Tech

While Georgia Tech is losing key pieces off of their defense from last season such as Charlie Thomas, Keion White, and Ace Eley, safety LaMiles Brooks is coming back to lead a secondary that appears to be a strength for Georgia Tech entering the 2023 season. 

I think that Brooks has a chance to be Georgia Tech's 1st first-round draft pick since 2010. PFF (Pro Football Focus) is also high on Brooks entering the 2023 season and had him as one of the five highest-graded returning safeties in the country this season.

Brooks finished as the highest-graded player on Georgia Tech last according to PFF (Pro Football Focus) and his coverage grade of 86.8 was good for 21st in the country and fourth in the ACC. He finished as the 23rd highest-graded safety in the country according to PFF last season.

Brooks finished the season with 52 tackles and a team-leading three interceptions. His best performance came in a loss to Virginia when he finished with nine tackles and a pick-six. Brooks was the best player on the field that night and I expect more performances like that from Brooks in the future.

He possesses the size to be a first-round pick as well at 6'2 192 LBS and is a physical tackler

LaMiles Brooks
Georgia Tech DB LaMiles Brooks is one of the top safeties in the ACC  / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Brooks is an instinctive safety in coverage and his versatility is going to be on display this season. During the spring, defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker talked about how Brooks had to play nickel last season and he could do more of that in 2023:

"So K.J. Wallace would probably be listed as the starting nickle positon right now, but LaMiles Brooks in multiple games kicked down to that position so you are talking about having four guys with experience for three spots so we are able to cross-train those guys and use them in that way.

A tangible example would be being at North Carolina this past season, K.J. Wallace goes down and we slide LaMiles Brooks down to that position at nickel. That is the group that has the most maturity right now."

There is a long way to go until the 2024 NFL Draft, but I think Brooks has a chance to be the first Georgia Tech player taken in the first round in over a decade. 

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Jackson Caudell
JACKSON CAUDELL

Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell