What to know about Karl Brooks, Bowling Green defensive tackle and Green Bay Packers sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft
Tom DombeckGREEN BAY − With the 179th overall selection in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers picked Bowling Green defensive tackle Karl Brooks.
It was the second defensive tackle the Packers chose on Day 3 of the draft.
Karl Brooks to provide depth behind Kenny Clark
PackersNews.com analysis: An NFL defense can never have enough big bodies to rotate in along the trenches, which makes the selection of Brooks a way to add depth behind Kenny Clark. He had plenty of production in college so it'll be whether that knack for finding the ball translates to the NFL.
Height, weight, other measurables
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 303 pounds
Karl Brooks Bowling Green highlights
- First-team all-MAC selection in 2022
- Had 18 tackles for loss and 50 overall tackles
- Recorded 10 sacks
Packers' scout Milt Hendrickson on Karl Brooks
On Brooks's production at MAC level: "The tape is still the tape and what he was able to display even at the MAC, and not to knock the MAC, but there's times you turn on the tape and he's a man among boys."
On Brooks's ability to play both inside and outside: "That's not to say he, Joe and his crew won't have different packages, but I think what he's able to do, it's just kind of like our offensive lineman, the guys are versatile."
Karl Brooks on the Packers
Brooks met the local media via conference call on Saturday. Here are some highlights.
Where he's best utilized: "I feel like just lining me up and letting my play football."
On not transferring after putting up big numbers: "I had chances to get in the transfer portal after my junior year but I felt like I owed my loyalty to Bowling Green and wanted to win for Bowling Green."
On his mindset on the field: "My No. 1 thing is to get off the ball and be the hammer, not the nail."
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein’s take on Karl Brooks
"The inclination to shrug off Brooks’ production based on level of competition − or because of questions about his positional fit − might be a mistake. Brooks’ snap quickness, footwork, hand usage and motor are all translatable play qualities. His movement and counters are intuitive, allowing for quick access into the backfield. Against the pass, he frequently beat tackles as a bull rusher off the edge. Brooks has the size of a three-technique but the versatility and athleticism to move around a defensive front. He flashes disruptive, three-down talent as a future starter in a one-gap scheme."