Detroit Lions Draft Prospects: Brandon Brooks

Brandon Brooks, OG, Miami (OH)
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 346 lbs
40-yard Dash: 4.99 sec
Vertical Jump: 32″
Broad Jump: 105″
Bench Press: 36 reps
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.53 sec
3-Cone Drill: 7.37 sec

The 2012 offensive line class is regarded as deep and guys like Brandon Brooks are the reason why. He wasn’t invited to the combine but that doesn’t mean he won’t be under serious consideration to be drafted in the middle rounds. Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn got a lot of press following his combine performance and it is likely that Brown would have received the same attention had he been able to showcase himself at the combine with the kind of performance he had at the Miami University pro day. Like Glenn, Brooks is a massive prospect that has played guard and tackle but projects as a guard at the NFL level.

With the First Pick has this to say about Brooks in their scouting report:

"Brooks was a guy who really lit up the East-West Shrine Week, but was not invited to the 2012 Scouting Combine. He looks like he could be the highest player drafted from the non-invite list this year. He displayed excellent power, athletic ability, and versatility this offseason and is going to force a lot of coaches and GMs to go back and watch a bunch more film on him. He is absolutely massive and looks like he could play inside as a guard or right tackle in the NFL, but this kind of athletic ability suggests he would be a great fit anywhere on the line. I think eventually he winds up as a guard at his size, but these numbers he turned in at his Pro Day are really encouraging and should excite fans of any team needing a guard. This could propel him into the 2nd round discussion."

As a top-ten guard prospect, it wouldn’t be out of place to peg him as a third-round draft choice but he’s considered a riser as he gets more exposure. That could push him up into the second round as With the First Pick suggested in the quoted section up above. The Lions are putting in their work in evaluating Brooks, in part by having him make a visit to the Lions training facility earlier this month. He has the physical tools and puts forth the kind of effort necessary to challenge for playing time right away but most scouting reports suggest technique as an area for improvement. Prospects from smaller schools generally have to play catch up in the technique department compared to their BCS conference peers so this should not be considered a serious red flag.

The scouting report on ESPN.com acknowledges that Brandon Brooks has a mean streak to his game but says that he lacks the killer instinct to be considered a “mauler”. I think the man holding the blocking pad at Brandon’s pro day disagrees. Take a look:

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