Prospect compared to Ahman Green can be an intriguing option for the Packers in the draft
The Green Bay Packers added Josh Jacobs and re-signed AJ Dillon and Emanuel Wilson. So, even after releasing Aaron Jones, the running back position is not a glaring need on the roster. However, Jacobs is the only player at the position under a long-term contract. If general manager Brian Gutekunst wants to take another swing, […]
The Green Bay Packers added Josh Jacobs and re-signed AJ Dillon and Emanuel Wilson. So, even after releasing Aaron Jones, the running back position is not a glaring need on the roster.
However, Jacobs is the only player at the position under a long-term contract. If general manager Brian Gutekunst wants to take another swing, the draft is a viable alternative in the mid rounds.
James Foster, who is a video analyst for A to Z Sports, put together his positional rankings for the top 300 prospects on a big board. Every player has a pro comparison, and that's a valuable tool to understand what these prospects can become in the NFL.
One specific name, and in particular his pro comparison, would catch the attention of Packers fans.
Jonathon Brooks, from Texas, is coming off an injury, but he's stylistically compared to Ahman Green, the Packers' franchise history leader in rushing yards (8,322). Green had two stints in Green Bay, the best and longest one from 2000 to 2006, and then a late-career return in 2009.
Green was actually drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round in 1998. The Packers acquired him in 2000 for cornerback Fred Vinson and a swap of fifth- and sixth-round picks.
The prospect
Jonathon Brooks is the third-ranked running back by James Foster, behind Trey Benson and Jaylen Wright, and the 81st overall prospect. The Texas offensive weapon has a late third-round grade, which bodes well for the area in which the Packers could realistically take a running back — Ahman Green, curiously enough, was a mid third-rounder in 1998.
According to A to Z Sports' college football managing editor Travis May, Brooks could even be the best running back of the class if not for the injury.
"Jonathon Brooks could be the clear RB1 in the class if he were healthy, but he likely won't be ready to get on the field until well into his rookie season thanks to his November ACL tear. He could have reached nearly 2000 yards from scrimmage had he stayed healthy last fall."
The injury situation is obviously a concern, but the Packers have flexibility to wait. With Jacobs, Dillon, and Wilson in 2024, Brooks could basically have a redshirt season to recover and learn the system. After that, Green Bay would have a high-ceiling prospect, and with a profile that the franchise knows really well.
Packers attack needs in NFC North roundtable mock draft
Simulation had beat writers from the four division teams
