Closer Look at Green Bay Packers UDFA LB Ellis Brooks
By Paul Bretl
We are nearing the end of my Green Bay Packers undrafted rookie preview series, but up next is Penn State linebacker, Ellis Brooks.
For those tuning in for the first time, in this series, I will be taking a look at the current state of the linebacker position on this Green Bay Packers team, what you need to know about Brooks’ college career, along with what a pre-draft scouting report has to say about his game.
If you’ve missed any of the other previews, you can find them all here:
The current state of the Green Bay Packers linebacker position
For a number of years now, the linebacker position has been a major weak point on this Green Bay Packers defense, but in one offseason, the team signed De’Vondre Campbell to a five-year $50 million deal while also drafting Quay Walker in the first round.
With Campbell and Walker’s abilities to play both the run and the pass well, it will allow the Packers to stay in their base nickel defense much more frequently, which then means they won’t have to rely nearly as heavily on a third safety. This should also make the defense far less predictable.
While Campbell and Walker will dominate the playing time, behind them on the depth chart is Krys Barnes, who brings experience and could become a very good special teams player under Rich Bisaccia.
After Barnes, however, is where we run into some unknowns. For starters, will the Packers choose to roster four or five linebackers? For some context, they did keep five a season ago.
Also, who is going to earn that final roster spot or two? Competing for it will be Brooks, Ray Wilborn, Isaiah McDuffie, Ty Summers, and Caliph Brice. Perhaps more so than any other position, these players being able to perform on special teams is going to be a must if they are going to make the 53-man.
What to know about Brooks’ career at Penn State
Ellis Brooks spent five seasons at Penn State, playing in four of them, which included appearances in 47 games and 1,732 defensive snaps, according to PFF ($$). He was also on the field for 270 special teams snaps, spending most of his time on the kick return, punt return, and field goal block units.
The bulk of his playing time came in his final two seasons when he tallied 22 pressures, along with 166 total tackles, including nine for a loss. His missed tackle rate in 2021, per PFF, was 11.7%, which ranked 73rd out of 200 eligible linebackers. On top of that, his 45 stops last season were tied for 31st, and he ranked 50th in PFF’s run defense grade.
In coverage, Brooks allowed 46 completions on 55 targets but surrendered only 8.7 yards per catch–doing a good job of keeping the play in front of him. He also came away with two pass breakups, and as you’d expect, just about all of his snaps came from inside the box.
Athletically, Brooks posted a 5.55 RAS out of 10 and stands 6’1″ – 226 pounds. He displayed decent speed, recording a 40-time of 4.77-seconds while also posting “okay” agility scores on the RAS scale, 23 reps on the bench press, however, Brooks struggled on the broad jump.
What the pre-draft scouting report has to say
Tony Pauline – Pro Football Network
"“Positives: Underrated linebacker who gets the most from his ability,” wrote Pauline. “Explosive, gets depth on pass drops, and shows good awareness in coverage. Breaks down well, remains disciplined with assignments, and quickly locates the ball. Flows well to the action, possesses a burst, and flies around the field to make plays. Displays a lot of athleticism and plays much faster than his 40 time. Tremendous leader on the field.Negatives: Not quick or smooth pedaling in reverse. Marginally forceful on the blitz.Analysis: Brooks is a terrific football player who leads by example on the field. He’s much more athletic than his testing numbers would lend one to believe and has enough skill to make a roster as a fifth linebacker.”"