'Lucky' Bengals Found A Gem in Sixth-Round Running Back Tahj Brooks

Tahj Brooks had a historic career in college, and he may be walking into the perfect opportunity to contribute right away in the NFL.

The Cincinnati Bengals struggled mightily rushing the football last season, ranking 30th with just 92.6 yards per game on the ground.

The passing ranked first, with Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase each leading the way in multiple categories. However, a more consistent run game will be important for Cincinnati to avoid being one dimensional and return to contention in the AFC.

Despite this, they waited until their last pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to pick a running back.

Thankfully, they found one that could make a serious impact that outweighs his draft positioning.

Texas Tech workhorse Tahj Brooks was picked by the Bengals with the 193rd pick in the sixth round. He was the 19th running back off the board.

Head coach Zac Taylor spoke about how the Bengals caught a break with his availability that late in the Draft.

“For him to be there in the sixth round when we got him; we’re really lucky that he fell to us at that point,” Taylor said, via the team broadcaster Dan Hoard.

Brooks is coming off a historic career with the Red Raiders.

Last season, he set Texas Tech's career rushing yards record, becoming the all-time leader with 4,557 yards over 56 career games played.

Brooks is the only Red Raider in program history with multiple 1,500-yard rushing seasons over his career, according to TexasTech.com. In 2024, he registered 11 games with at least 100 yards rushing to set a program record. He had 23 such games in his career - another all-time best mark at Texas Tech.

He turned a program that was the poster child for the "air-raid" offense - that made Kliff Kingsbury and Patrick Mahomes famous - into a team that relied on a run-first bully-ball philosophy with Brooks in the backfield.

As a late-round pick, he'll need to earn his place high on the Bengals' depth chart, but his extensive resume and durable production should allow him a solid chance to make the roster and see playing time.

Despite the team's low numbers, second-year ball carrier Chase Brown emerged as a promising starter with 990 rush yards and seven touchdowns in 2024.

That production came in a crucial time after Cincinnati traded longtime running back Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans before last season.

With Chase excelling in pass-catching looks in the flat and Brooks imposing his 230-pound frame in downhill rushes between the tackles, the Bengals could forge a dynamic run game this season to complement their aerial artistry.