We don’t need to rely solely on advanced stats to see how impactful Karl Brooks was as a rookie. The tape also shows it. One of his most impressive plays came against the Los Angeles Chargers. Brooks blew past the right guard before he could set his pass-blocking stance, resulting in a sack on Justin Herbert.
According to Pro Football Focus, Brooks ranked as a top-five rookie defensive lineman in defensive grade, pass-rush grade, sacks, QB hits, hurries, and batted passes last year. He also finished top 10 in pressures and stops. Out of 30 rookie defensive linemen, Brooks was one of only four to force a fumble. He also had the lowest missed-tackle percentage on Green Bay’s defensive line.
Brooks was Green Bay’s best-graded pass rusher in last year’s Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He had a 31.3% win rate on 16 pass-rush snaps, the highest on the team. He generated four pressures and four hurries. Brooks also earned the best pass-rush grade on true pass sets.
In the offseason, Green Bay re-signed Kenny Clark to a three-year, $64 million contract. Devonte Wyatt was coming off a 45-pressure season in 2023, and people also expected him to justify Green Bay’s first-round investment in him and help lead the interior defensive line in 2024. However, Brooks has quietly emerged as one of the best, if not the best, pass rushers in the group.
Since Wyatt went down with a shoulder injury, Brooks has taken on a heavier pass-rushing workload, logging the team’s second-most pass-rush snaps among defensive linemen. He is tied with T.J. Slaton for the most QB hits.
Brooks has recorded at least one pressure in four of six games this season. He was tied for the second-most pressures against the Minnesota Vikings and led the Packers in pressures and sacks against the Los Angeles Rams.
He has been great on stunts this season. In a crucial fourth-quarter of a one-score game against the Rams, Brooks executed a stunt with Colby Wooden on second-and-five. Brooks tossed the left guard to the ground, jumped to block the pass, and caused Matthew Stafford to hesitate for just half a second, enough time for him to get the sack.
Brooks displayed his play recognition and quickness against the Cardinals on Sunday. Arizona ran play action from under center with a screen to James Conner. Brooks rushed but stayed disciplined, then tackled Conner, forcing and recovering the fumble.
Brooks’ play doesn’t get much attention, which makes sense given he was a sixth-round pick, while the Packers have two first-rounders on the inside, with Clark earning top-tier money. Naturally, fans tend to focus on the performance of the first-round picks each week. Yet, Brooks hasn’t missed a single game since being drafted, has more sacks than Clark this year, and leads the room in stops.
In June 2023, I wrote my first piece for Zone Coverage, highlighting Brooks and his potential to impact Green Bay’s defense immediately. Sixteen months later, that article is aging like fine wine. However, it’s uncertain how many snaps Brooks will get once Wyatt returns, but he’s already proven to be an above-average rotational defensive lineman. With Clark tied for 19th in total pressures among defensive linemen, the Packers need more help inside to pressure the passer, and Brooks has been efficient in that role.
