Raiders NFL Draft Prospect: Curtis Brooks, Cincinnati
The Cincinnati Bears finished the season with an impressive 13-1 record and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff last season.
Much of that success was led by the Bearcats' defense, and with the 2022 NFL Draft upon us, the Las Vegas Raiders can poach a player or two on draft day.
A player who has been flying under the radar is defensive tackle Curtis Brooks.
“Curtis Brooks plays with a low pad level constantly leading him to winning leverage battles. Lots of experience and has played in multiple different alignments across the defensive line. Vs. the run he is at his best versus outside zone. He shows good lateral range from backside 3 tech. Good overall quickness and lateral agility and plays with solid technique and leverage. Displays very good balance, core strength and shows some great recovery versus double teams. He attacks one of the blockers versus double teams to avoid the full force of double teams,” NFL Draft Bible noted.
A major enforcer on the interior of the defensive line, Brooks has consistently improved his game and in his sixth season exploded on the scene for the Bearcats.
His numbers are solid, and after watching his tape, he opened things up for other teammates to make plays.
Brooks recorded 56 total tackles (32 solos), and one forced fumble while leading the Bearcats with 12.5 tackles for losses and 7.5 sacks.
His performance on the field earned him First-Team All-AAC honors.
At 6-2 and 287 pounds, Brooks can be considered extremely undersized for an interior defensive lineman, and being among one of the older prospects in the draft at 24-years-old, teams could pass on him even though having the best pass rush grade in college football (90.4) by Pro Football Focus.
Versatility is a good thing for a lot of prospects, but for anyone waiting for their name to be called on draft day, that versatility has to translate to the NFL and this is where Brooks’ versatility might be a question.
The coaches figured out that he can play multiple positions and when he would struggle at nose tackle, they would move him around and get him lined up in the best position possible.
He does well running different schemes and filling in various gaps, but never really mastered one position to highlight his strengths.
Brooks was not invited to the NFL Combine, but he took advantage of the opportunity to work out in front of nearly 100 scouts, general managers and coaches at Cincinnati’s Pro Day.
His 4.9 40-yard dash, broad jump, bench press, and short shuttle time would have ranked among the top five defensive tackles at the combine and his 35½-inch vertical jump would have been 2½ inches better than any other player at the position.
"He's very explosive and very intelligent," Bearcats Coach Luke Fickell said. "He was one of the few guys up front that we could ask to play different positions. Sometimes that was a harder thing on him because we would ask him to move around week in and week out. He's one of those guys who has great instincts, but he has the intelligence to grow even more and be able to recognize things that I'm not sure that all defensive lineman do."
The Raiders can look past his size to his versatility as a positive trait.
They can use one of their later draft picks for a player who has a lot of experience and will be ready to come in as a rotational defender, keeping the defensive line fresh.
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