The Carolina Panthers came into Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft with the No. 39 overall selection in the second round, but they wound up picking seven picks later at No. 46 after a pair of trades.
With the selection, the Panthers took the draft's first running back in Texas' Jonathan Brooks. The 20-year old is coming off an ACL tear suffered late in his final college season, but he is an explosive athlete whom many considered a first-round talent if not for the injury.
Brooks played three years with the Longhorns, spending the first two as a backup to current NFL players Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson. He finally earned the starting job in 2023 and racked up 1,139 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 11 games before suffering the torn ACL.
The 6-foot, 215-pound back suffered the injury on Nov. 11 in a win over TCU. Since ACL tears normally require at least six to nine months of recovery to come back from, there is concern over how soon the running back might be ready to return to the field.
That said, NFL analyst Ian Rapaport reported after Carolina's selection that Brooks should be ready to go by training camp.
Despite the injury concerns, Brooks gives the Panthers another offensive weapon to go along with receiver Xavier Legette, whom Carolina chose at No. 32 overall Thursday night.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein comped Brooks to fellow Texas running back Jamaal Charles in his draft profile, highlighting his acceleration, patience and general lack of wear and tear with only 238 career carries in college.
Brooks is the latest first running back drafted since Bishop Sankey went No. 54 overall to the Tennessee Titans in 2014. Since 1970, only on four occasions has a running back failed to go in the first round, with all four times happening over the past 11 years.
Carolina initially traded No. 39 overall to the Rams for No. 52 overall in 2024, a fifth-rounder (No. 155) and a 2025 second-rounder (originally owned by the Steelers). To move back up to No. 46, the Panthers sent No. 52, No. 142 and No. 155 to Indianapolis.