Jonathan Brooks, the former second-round pick (46th overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Texas, has been a non-factor so far during his time as a professional. The future star is recovering from his second torn ACL, which occurred during his rookie season. He’s recently been cleared and has been participating in the offseason programs while reportedly feeling 100%. With this, buying low on talented, injured players is a cheat code and has often proven very profitable in Dynasty Fantasy Football. Brooks, with his potential, falls into this category, and he has also received positive comments from Head Coach Dave Canales. In addition, the Carolina Panthers didn’t draft or sign any running backs this offseason. They chose to let veteran Rico Dowdle leave as a free agent, which speaks volumes for what the team thinks of Brooks and leads me to believe he’s in line; if healthy, Brooks can be a potential league winner.
As we fast-forward to training camps about to open up, the Panthers enter the upcoming season with high internal expectations and expect to improve upon their eight-win season in 2025. Brooks has the talent to become a superstar in the NFL as he’s an all-around three-down running back with explosive playmaking ability. The third-year player is still only 23 years old and figures to be the future of the Panthers’ backfield at some point this season. Even though the Panthers have Chuba Hubbard as the RB1 to start the year, he’s entering year two of a four-year, 33.2 million deal. There’s no reason to believe that Brooks still can’t be a big factor in their offense. Running back is the one position in the NFL that can change quickly, and there is a potential out on Hubbard’s contract after 2026. I see no reason why Brooks can’t earn close to an even split with Hubbard and work next to him more as a 1B early in the season instead of as a true number two running back. Then, as things unfold throughout the 2025 NFL season, time will tell when Brooks can fully take over this backfield. But with the season quickly approaching, the question is: should you be buying, selling, or holding Brooks? Let’s dive in.
To access the rest of this article, login or become a member. 
