Tahj Brooks finally hears his name called late in the NFL Draft

The 2025 NFL Draft was one of the deepest in history when it came to the running back position. Thus, it looked for a while as if Texas Tech's all-time leading rusher, Tahj Brooks, might slip through the cracks. However, Brooks finally heard his name called in the sixth round on Saturday afternoon.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Brooks with the No. 193 overall pick. Brooks became the second Red Raider to be taken this year, following offensive lineman Caleb Rogers, a third-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday night.

"Great lateral quickness. Good ball skills. Can protect for us. Good all-around back," Bengals' head coach Zac Taylor said of Brooks.

Brooks will not be expected to be the Bengals' savior this season. Cincinnati returns starting running back Chase Brown, who ran for 990 yards and seven touchdowns while catching 54 passes for 360 yards and four more scores in 2024. Headed into his third NFL season, the former Western Michigan and Illinois running back is solidified as the Browns top option in the ground game.

Additionally, the Bengals have veterans Samaje Perine and Zack Moss on the roster, but they are both nearing the end of their careers. What's more, they will be more expensive than Brooks, meaning that if Brooks can prove as valuable as either, he might get the nod as a cost-saving measure for a franchise that is paying top dollar for each of its top two wide receivers.

Brooks' selection in the sixth round signifies a bit of a steal for the Bengals. Many people thought he would be off the board earlier in the draft. In fact, NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler projected him to be a fifth-round pick.

"With his low center of gravity, Brooks runs with tempo and vision to navigate through bodies and the physicality to finish each run (usually after breaking a few tackles)," Brugler wrote. "Though his quickness is an asset, his lack of top-end acceleration put a cap on some of the ways he produced against Big 12 defenses. Overall, Brooks won't be a fit for a team searching for a speed back, but his agility, contact balance and feel as a runner directly leads to rushing production. Even with worn treads, the dependability factor plays to his favor, because of his durability and reliability on third downs."

Cincinnati features a weak offensive line that often struggles in the ground game. That could be why Brooks appealed to them.

Though Brooks is not a threat to be a breakaway threat due to his below-average top-end speed, he was one of the best in the college game at breaking tackles. In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, the 154 missed tackles he forced since 2023 were the fourth-most among all running backs.

A native of Manor, Texas, Brooks arrived in Lubbock as a run-of-the-mill three-star recruit. But he left as one of the best and backs to ever don the Double T.

Now, he has his opportunity to earn a spot in the NFL thanks to the Bengals. Of course, everyone in scarlet and black believes he will prove to be better than the average sixth-round pick.