The Miami Dolphins used two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL draft on Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor and San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson, who both bring with them excitement and expectations.
However, coaches seem to be just as excited about second-round pick Jacob Rodriguez, a linebacker out of Texas Tech. In fact, Dolphins run-game coordinator Joe Barry, who the team retained despite a mass overhaul of the coaching staff this offseason, made an interesting claim about the linebacker.
“In the draft, you do all this prep, you do all this vetting, and very rarely does it work out where you get the guy that you really covet,” Barry said. “And Jacob was our number-one-ranked guy. We coveted the hell out of him. Now, we had other needs and things. And also, quite frankly, I personally didn’t think that he’d be there when we were drafting with the 43rd pick.”
Barry isn’t the only coach who is impressed by Rodriguez
“He’s incredibly instinctive,” Dolphins linebacker coach Al Washington said. “I think he’s really efficient and he’s a really good tackler. When you think of tackling, there’s two types. There’s the knock them back, maybe like in the mid-90s. And Jacob has that, but I think the thing that I saw was in open field, there’s a high percentage of tackles being made as opposed to missed tackles.
“And to be honest, this was good for me, coming from college to the NFL, you watch nothing but college tape. And the separator was just that, a lot of guys struggle in the open field. And you think about the athletes at this level, I haven’t seen a bad one. I’m watching tape, the second-string running back is like… so everybody’s athletic. So being able to do that, being able to get yourself in a good base, being able to strike the appropriate way in open field is special.”
The 23-year-old spent one year at Virginia before transferring to Texas Tech for the final four years of his collegiate career. He earned All-Big 12 honors twice and All-American honors once with the Red Raiders.
In the NFL, Rodriguez will compete for a starting job next to Pro Bowl linebacker Jordyn Brooks throughout Miami’s offseason program and into training camp. If he unseats Tyrel Dodson, this pick will garner even more excitement than it already has.
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This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins coach called Day-2 pick their “No. 1 ranked guy’ in the draft
Reporting by Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
