Jonathon Brooks' Return Might Be the Best Addition Panthers Can Make

There's always a concern that a player coming back from a torn ACL won't be the same. We take for granted players coming back from that devastating injury all the time.

When that ACL has been torn twice within the span of two years, that concern level rises exponentially. Jonathon Brooks might be operating with one usable knee.

But if he's healthy, the Panthers might have a secret weapon no one remembers. If he were a draft prospect this year, he'd be one of the best in the class based on his college stats.

Those numbers include Jeremiyah Love, who was a Heisman finalist last season. Brooks would be one of the best new running backs if he were in the draft. He's also only going to be 23 by the time Week 1 rolls around.

There is no way to predict what Brooks will look like having torn his ACL twice, but if the full season off and a full offseason of recovery can help him get back to speed, the Panthers' backfield could be in good shape.

He's still not the shifty receiving back that would probably work best in tandem with Chuba Hubbard (think the difference between Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery), but he is a different style of back.

Hubbard is going to run through contact, while Brooks has been pretty adept at avoiding it. He will be a change of pace, and if he's healthy, he will probably be a pretty good backup. The Panthers won't need Rico Dowdle to return or Trevor Etienne to magically improve.