How BYU’s Chris Brooks went from undrafted to NFL’s Miami Dolphins

Four former BYU football players who are now rookies in the NFL made it onto a 53-man roster following last Tuesday’s cutdown deadline.

It wasn’t a surprise when offensive tackle Blake Freeland, quarterback Jaren Hall and wide receiver Puka Nacua all made the active roster — all three were all draft picks in late April. 

The fourth player, though, went undrafted. Even then, running back Chris Brooks took a measured approach to help him land on the Miami Dolphins’ initial 53-man roster after the team made its final cuts.

“I thought more in a day-to-day mindset,” Brooks told reporters on Wednesday, about how he handled an uphill battle to make the active roster.

He entered a situation in Miami where the team returned its top two running backs from last season among a group of four veteran backs.

There’s also been plenty of chatter surrounding Miami this offseason about the possibility of bringing in a more accomplished veteran — like a Johnathan Taylor (via trade) or Dalvin Cook (via free agency) — to the mix.

That didn’t rattle Brooks.

“I feel like once you look too far ahead, you get anxious, you get kinda nervous,” Brooks said. “I just thought, ‘What can I do today to get better and how can I learn from these guys?’” 

The 6-foot-1, 223-pound Brooks, who played at BYU for just one season as a graduate transfer after three years at California, took 52 offensive snaps over three preseason games and made the most of those opportunities.

He ended the preseason with 22 carries for 104 rushing yards with two touchdowns. Brooks also had three receptions for 39 yards and another score.

“He’s a young guy who’s come in and learned everything, he’s worked at it, he’s done a great job in the classroom, put himself in position,” Dolphins running backs coach Eric Studesville said of Brooks, per AllDolphins’ Alain Poupart.

“It’s a tough room because there’s a lot of guys who’ve played ahead of him. He doesn’t bat an eyelash and when he gets his opportunity. He’s made the most of them.”

Three days after the preseason finale against Jacksonville, Brooks showed up to work as normal and matter-of-factly shared how he learned he made the 53-man roster.

“I just walked into meetings and came in. They said, ‘Congratulations, fellas.’ I just assumed I was on the 53,” Brooks said.

The undrafted rookie was retained by Miami over another running back, Myles Gaskin, who led the Dolphins in rushing yards two years ago.

Staying on the active roster — and getting on the field — during the regular season will be the next challenge for Brooks.

Raheem Mostert returns to lead the Miami backfield after rushing for a team-high 891 yards and three touchdowns last season.

The Dolphins’ second-leading rusher last year, though, is out for at least four weeks. Jeff Wilson Jr. was placed on injured reserve with what Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel described as multiple injury issues, per ESPN.

That leaves fourth-year back Salvon Ahmed, Brooks and fellow rookie De’Von Achane, a third-round draft pick out of Texas A&M, as Mostert’s backups heading into the start of the season. 

Brooks is the only healthy one right now. Achane is dealing with a shoulder injury, while Ahmed suffered a neck injury in the Dolphins’ preseason finale. 

If Brooks is called upon to contribute early in the season, he shared what he can bring immediately, with the hope of further developing his game.

“Coming into the NFL, I thought my skill was just physicality. I probably feel best about that,” he said. “I’m just working so I can branch off and get all the other skills to be great as well.”

Miami opens the year at the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Sept. 10.

“I feel like not getting drafted, I really wouldn’t look at it as a low, I’d say it’s an opportunity,” Brooks said. “It’s an opportunity that not too many guys have and I can either take advantage of the opportunity or I could just let it go to waste. I chose to take advantage.”