It’s about that time of the offseason when I write my annual Karl Brooks article. My first-ever piece for Zone Coverage back in 2023 was about how he could make an immediate impact as a rookie. That, thankfully, came to fruition. Then last year, I interviewed him for the Cheeseheads Brazil YouTube channel.
Heading into his third season, I’m turning my attention to how Brooks can continue building on that foundation. There’s still plenty of room for growth. However, he needs to take a step forward in one area of his game in particular if he’s going to significantly boost his production.
Brooks’ strength has always been his ability to rush the passer, a skill he’s had since his college days. Over the past two seasons, he’s totaled 58 pressures and eight sacks, per Pro Football Focus. In 2023 alone, he batted down four passes — the fourth-most among all defensive linemen in the league.
As a rookie, he ranked in the top five among defensive linemen in pressures, quarterback hits, sacks, and hurries. Moreover, he was Green Bay’s highest-graded player in their 24-21 Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Still, the main reason Brooks hasn’t seen more playing time is his struggles against the run. In 2023, his 44.5 run-defense grade was the lowest among all Packers interior defensive linemen, and he also played the fewest total snaps in the group. That number dipped even further to 37 this past season, despite him logging the third-most run-defense snaps among interior linemen, mainly due to Devonte Wyatt’s injuries.
Brooks’ weakness against the run is less about effort and more a natural byproduct of how teams have used him throughout his career. At Bowling Green, he spent significant time lining up as an edge rusher, which shaped his game more around quickness and penetration than anchoring against the run. He’s also not the biggest interior defensive lineman — and I say that with respect, because I once took a picture with him and he looked like a mountain standing next to me.
However, Brooks’ frame is part of what makes him so versatile. His size and athletic profile have allowed him to line up all over the trenches, giving Green Bay flexibility in how they deploy him. However, it also means there’s a learning curve when it comes to holding up consistently in the run game, especially on early downs.
This season will be a crucial one for Brooks and the rest of Green Bay’s defensive line. Last year, the unit ranked 27th in pass-rush win rate and struggled to consistently generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. While the defense recorded 45 sacks, 20 of them came in just three games, including seven against the Tennessee Titans’ lousy offensive line.
Green Bay’s interior defenders must improve next year. Kenny Clark isn’t getting any younger, and Devonte Wyatt is heading into Year 4 without having locked down a full-time starting role. If Brooks can improve his play against the run, he should have every chance to carve out a bigger role — and potentially earn a starting spot in the near future.
Brooks’ sense of urgency should only continue to grow moving forward. According to NFLPA rules, the Packers will be allowed to begin discussing contract extensions with their 2023 draft class starting next year. While most would agree that if anyone from that group is going to get an early deal, it’ll likely be Tucker Kraft or Jayden Reed, Brooks could force his way into that conversation with a breakout 2025 season.
Still, it would have to be one of the most significant year-to-year jumps in production by a Packers defensive player in recent memory. The potential is there, especially as a pass rusher. However, turning that into a consistent, every-down impact is what will determine whether Brooks becomes more than just a rotational player.
