Jacob Rodriguez NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Miami Dolphins LB

The Miami Dolphins selected Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez with the No. 43 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Jacob Rodriguez was hands-down the best linebacker in college football this season. The Butkus Award winner is a turnover machine with impressive instincts as a run defender. However, he lacks NFL length/size (listed at 6'1", 235 pounds) and traits to be a high-level prospect in the 2026 draft class.

A 3-star recruit as an athlete in the 2021 class, Rodriguez's college career began at Virginia, and on the other side of the ball. He lined up at several positions for the Cavaliers: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end, before transferring to Texas Tech and moving to linebacker the following year.

The Red Raider was a rotational player during his first season in Lubbock, and he began the 2023 campaign as a starter. However, a Lisfranc sprain and bone bruise in his foot limited him to just five games, 32 tackles, one tackle for loss, an interception, two passes defended and two forced fumbles.

Rodriguez's breakout season came in 2024, where he played in all 13 games and logged 127 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, five sacks, an interception, four PDs, and three FFs. That was good enough to earn First-Team All-Big 12 and honorable mention All-American honors.

He officially became a well-decorated linebacker this past fall with 128 tackles, 11 TFLs, a sack, four interceptions, six PDs and the most FFs (seven) in the country.

That added the Butkus, Lombardi, and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year awards to his mantle, in addition to first-team all-conference and All-American honors.

Matt Holder has been a part of B/R's Scouting Department for four seasons. He also writes about the Las Vegas Raiders and NFL draft for SB Nation's Silver and Black Pride, and co-hosts a YouTube Channel, Tape Don't Lie, providing film breakdowns and more draft prospect analysis.

Highlights

Jacob Rodriguez highlights

00:58

Scroll down for the complete scouting report.

Where He Wins

John E. Moore III/Getty Images

- Great production over the last two seasons.

- Good instincts against the run to quickly key and diagnose plays, putting himself in positions to make tackles for short gains.

- Sifts through trash and mirrors running backs well.

- Solid lateral movement skills to make offensive linemen miss in space.

- Decent tackler who wraps up and brings his feet with him. Also has decent pad level.

- Has mastered the "Peanut Punch" to create turnovers, evidenced by his 13 career forced fumbles.

- Good at recognizing play-action passes and has solid hip fluidity to turn and ROBOT, also showing a decent ability to locate threats when ROBOTing.

- Impressive ability to track the ball and has good hands for a linebacker to get interceptions. Wide receiver/tight end background helps him here.

Areas of Improvement

AP Photo

- Rodriguez lacks the ideal height and has shorter arms for an NFL linebacker.

- Combination of arm length and below-average strength limits his extension and leads to him getting stuck on blocks from offensive linemen.

- Also doesn't have much knockback power when coming downhill, either when taking on blocks or making tackles against bigger running backs. The latter can lead to extra yards after contact.

- Struggles to anchor when taking on blocks from offensive linemen.

- Subpar speed, limiting his sideline-to-sideline range and making him a liability when playing Tampa 2. His 40-time at the combine doens't always show up on film.

- Eye discipline and awareness in zone coverage are lacking, too often he leaves threats open in his area and covers grass.

Grade, Rank, and Pro Comparison

Brien Aho/Getty Images

GRADE: 7.3 (High-Level Backup/Starter Upside — 3rd Round)

COMPARABLE GRADE: Demetrius Knight Jr., South Carolina (7.2 in 2025), Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M (7.3 in 2024), Brandon Smith, Penn State (7.3 in 2022)

OVERALL RANK: 78

POSITION RANK: LB7

PRO COMPARISON: Jack Sanborn

Measurables and Testing Data

John E. Moore III/Getty Images

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 231
Hand: 9¼"
Arm: 30⅞"
Wingspan: 74⅝"

40-Yard Dash: 4.57
10-Yard Split: 1.59
3-Cone: 6.90
Shuttle: 4.19
Vertical: 38.5
Broad: 10'1"