Who Should I Start? Sione Vaki or Jonathon Brooks

Sunday, June 7, 5:17 AM

Expectations around Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks continue to rise, with NFL Network reporter Cameron Wolfe recently appearing on The Insiders Podcast and stating that if healthy, Brooks could handle lead back responsibilities over veteran Chuba Hubbard. Wolfe noted that the team allowed 2025's leading rusher, Rico Dowdle, to walk in free agency in part because they believe that their 2024 second-round pick is "ready to be the guy". Brooks missed all of the 2025 season after tearing the ACL in his right knee as a rookie, the second such injury to the same knee in just over a year. Coming off an RB15 finish in 2024 that resulted in a multi-year contract extension, Hubbard struggled through inconsistency and injuries of his own in 2025 and eventually ceded lead-back responsibilities to Dowdle, who ended the year with almost 1,400 all-purpose yards and seven total touchdowns. Brooks is RotoBaller's RB 40 in redraft leagues, but that ranking is certain to rise if he continues to pick up steam throughout minicamp and into training camp, and he could become one of 2026's better values for early drafters.