Jordyn Brooks just cracked the top 10 linebackers in the entire NFL, coming in at a blazing 7th overall on ESPN's latest positional rankings. For anyone who watched this guy tear it up for the Miami Dolphins last season, it's not a shock. He wasn't just good, he was an absolute force, earning first-team All-Pro honors from the Associated Press for the first time in his six-year career.
The Numbers Don't Lie, Folks
You want to know why Brooks is climbing so high? Just look at the tape and the stats. Last year, he led the entire National Football League in tackles, piling up an insane 183 total tackles and 99 solo tackles. Think about that for a second: nobody in the league brought down more ball carriers than this man. But he wasn't just a tackle machine; he was making plays all over the field, adding 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and even a fumble recovery to his resume. This dude was truly everywhere, a wrecking ball for the Dolphins defense. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted that Brooks became the first Dolphins player to lead the NFL in tackles since Zach Thomas back in 2006. That's some elite company right there.What Could Have Been in the Emerald City
Here's where it hits a little different for us, doesn't it? Brooks, the 27th pick of the 2020 draft, was an ascending player right here with our Seahawks. We saw the flashes, the speed, the physicality. But then came that brutal ACL tear late in the 2022 season, which totally compromised his 2023 campaign. He then rebuilt his career in Miami, turning into the first-team All-Pro player he is now. It's tough to watch a guy you rooted for reach these heights elsewhere, especially when you consider his ridiculous 5.9% run stop percentage, which topped all off-ball linebackers, and his 13 tackles for loss, ranking second at his position last season. An NFL coordinator said it best, talking about his skillset, saying it's "similar to Demario Davis when he was young , really strong, fast, physical, can play in space, very good tackler." We saw glimpses of that here, no doubt.What's Next for This Defensive Beast
Brooks is now set to continue leading that Dolphins linebacker crew, and they've even added a second-round pick in Jacob Rodriguez from Texas Tech, the same college as Brooks. If Rodriguez can keep up his college play and Brooks keeps up his All-Pro form, man, that tandem could do some serious damage to opposing offenses every single week. It just proves that even after a major setback, a true talent finds a way to dominate. You gotta respect the grind, even if it hurts a little to see it from afar.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.