Rookie Spotlight: Ja’Corey Brooks, WR Louisville

Height: 6-3 (unofficial)
Weight: 195 lbs (unofficial)
Hands:
Arm:
40 yard dash: 4.65 (projected)
2025 Age: 24
NFL Comparison: Rashod Bateman, Zay Jones, Quentin Johnston
Other RW Staff Comps: A.T. Perry, Devontez Walker
Breakout Age: 21 (RS SO)

Pros
– Stretches the field
– 2024 first-team All-ACC
– 37th among 2024 qualifiers in yards per route run (2.57)
– 33rd among 2024 qualifiers in QB passer rating when targeted (125.4)
– Shifty for a taller WR
– Savvy route runner
– Catches ball in stride
– Tracks ball well
– Big, soft hands
– Sudden in cuts
– 5-star high school pedigree, originally committed to Alabama

Cons
– Lacks physicality
– Questionable speed
– Hasn’t faced much press
– Inconsistent production
– Injury history
– 10-plus% drop rate, some concentration drops

Fantasy Outlook:
Brooks has an uncanny knack of finding weak spots in coverage, snatching the ball from the air with massive hands. He’s agile for a big receiver, getting open with savvy footwork and a shiftiness that belies his imposing frame. A big play opportunist, Brooks can stretch the field with his long strides before high pointing the ball away from his body, often out-jumping his defender for the completion. Brooks is lacking in physicality, so he wins at the catch point with his athleticism and timing. It would be nice to see him implement more play strength though, considering his size. Brooks’ speed is still up for question. He’s been clocked with a 4.82 forty early in his college career, yet he was a successful track athlete in high school. He can get behind defenses and break away for chunk gains, yet my initial evaluation in watching his tape had him with subpar speed, at least on intermediate routes. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now, as his production at Louisville has been impressive in his final year(1,013 yards, 9 TD). His 2023 campaign was marred by a shoulder injury, and injury concerns will follow him into the draft, but his sophomore year was solid too (678 yards, 8 TD). A big question will be whether Brooks can beat the press with regularity. Brooks has the intangibles to be strong presence on Sundays in the NFL, but his speed and inconsistency will need to be addressed before penciling him in as an elite prospect. He’s a last-round-type of flier in super-early dynasty rookie drafts, and more than likely more of a free-agent watch-list-type to keep on the radar in case he lands in a terrific spot.