Analyst Predicts Major Breakout for Packers Karl Brooks

In the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected defensive lineman Karl Brooks out of Bowling Green. It was a selection that analysts were big fans of and he quickly proved why during his rookie campaign.

Karl Brooks played in all 17 games, showcasing excellent pass-rushing ability from the interior of the defensive line. Despite playing only 34 percent of the defensive snaps last season, the Bowling Green standout stuffed the stat sheet.

He recorded 4.0 sacks, six tackles for loss and five quarterback hits and nine total pressures. Those are excellent numbers for a rookie, let alone that one who played as sparingly as he did in 2023.

Heading into 2024, there is a lot of excitement surrounding this defense. With Jeff Hafley taking over for Joe Barry as defensive coordinator, they are playing a more attacking style. Under Barry, it was a lot more read and react, which limited aggressiveness at times.

Heading into Year 2 of his career, Karl Brooks has earned more playing time. That will result in even more production, which Gordon McGuinness of PFF is predicting. The Packers interior defensive lineman was selected for the All-Breakout Team in 2024 by McGuinness.

“If there is a question about Brooks’ play heading into his second NFL season, it’s whether he can be a full-time player or if he is simply more of a pass-rushing specialist. However, with how good he was in that role as a rookie, that may not matter. He had seven games in 2023 with a PFF pass-rushing grade above 70.0,” wrote McGuinness.

As a rookie, Karl Brooks showcased elite pass-rushing ability. It will be interesting to see just how much the Packers expand his role during his sophomore season.

Will they look to make him more of a full-time player alongside Devonte Wyatt and Kenny Clark? The change to a 4-3 defensive front should enable him to get on the field more given the versatility of that group.

Hafley is going to be able to mix and match across the defensive line with the pieces that he has. The team’s edge rushers could also play some linebacker still, standing up and rushing the passer as they did in the 3-4 defense under Barry.

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