The Cincinnati Bengals selected Texas Tech RB Tahj Brooks with the 193rd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Texas native joined the Red Raiders as a three-star recruit. His production really picked up in 2023 – his fourth season – with 1,541 rushing yards and 10 TDs. He posted similar numbers last fall but set a new high in rush TDs (17). His shifty feet lead to very few hard hits, and Brooks can certainly deliver the occasional explosive. He recorded 26 runs of 15+ yards this past season. He showed adequate speed (4.52 forty time) and burst (1.56 ten-yard split) at the NFL Combine. He shined in the agility drills with a 93rd percentile shuttle; a 76th percentile 3-cone. Outside of missing one game in 2024 with an arm injury, Brooks has largely stayed healthy despite 576 carries over the past two seasons. While the downfield passing offense rarely targeted him as a receiver, Brooks brings some value on passing downs.