5 players the Vikings (probably) regret not drafting in 2023
By Ben Donahue
Player No. 3
Karl Brooks - DT
Drafted By: Green Bay Packers (Sixth Round, Pick No. 179)
Minnesota took LSU defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy with the 141st pick in the fifth round.
In his first year in the Twin Cities, Roy started once and had eight combined tackles, one tackle for loss, and a QB hit.
Karl Brooks was an All-MAC pick in 2021 and 2022 as a defensive lineman at Bowling Green. He was projected to be a fifth-round selection before the 2023 draft and was actually taken in the sixth round, 179th overall, by Minnesota’s biggest rival, the Green Bay Packers.
As a rookie, Brooks didn’t start a single game. However, he was a key contributor to the Packers' defense.
Brooks took down opposing ball carriers 20 times, including six tackles for a loss. The 6-foot-3, 298-pounder also had five QB hits, four sacks, four pass deflections, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.
During the Green Bay's 2023 postseason run, Brooks accounted for two tackles and a quarterback hit.