The Miami Dolphins boldly decided to invest a premium second-round pick in Jacob Rodriguez this year despite having two capable starters on the roster in Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson. New GM Jon-Eric Sullivan even invested a couple more picks at that spot. Positions have reshuffled a bit since then, but the principle remains.
By all accounts, Rodriguez has more than held up his end of the bargain. Not a surprise. If you finish fifth in Heisman voting as a Texas Tech linebacker, you're probably pretty good. You probably should be drafted pretty high.
So by releasing Dodson, the Dolphins made a big statement about their belief in Rodriguez. I kind of feel like this new regime knows what they're doing to some degree. And I was super high on Rodriguez. Had him 28th on my final big board; he was drafted 43rd overall.
Ah, sweet vindication for yet another take of mine, courtesy of a gaggle of NFL personnel wizards, beat writers, and so forth...
Miami Dolphins rookie Jacob Rodriguez named among 15 'Future Hits' who weren't drafted in the first round
Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic compiled intel on Jacob Rodriguez and many other rookies who weren't drafted in the first round, and turned it into a list of 15 players she was most confident would be "future hits."
An AFC scout and AFC executive gassed up Rodriguez's uncanny ability to take the ball away (I covered this as early as OTAs, NBD), which is proof of the ex-quarterback's high football IQ. An NFC exec did caution that Rodriguez could be a little boom-or-bust in the early going, though:
"Got fooled/moved a couple times in the preseason (and did not play a ton) but you can quickly see how much football makes sense to him and his feel for getting to the edges of blocks. Linebacker can be the hardest transition; he will be fun to monitor."
I'd be more worried about Rodriguez's transition to the pros if he wasn't such a smart player as he is. Plus, it can't hurt to play next to a first-team All-Pro like Brooks, who can help mask any of Rodriguez's shortcomings.
In addition to his impeccable, frequent execution of the "Peanut punch" to force fumbles (seven in 2025), Rodriguez's exceptional athleticism and QB background help him excel in coverage. He can recognize route concepts and has the good hands to generate takeaways, evident by his four INTs last season.
Coverage has never been Brooks' strong suit. Dodson struggled in that department this past year. It was a no-brainer for Miami to give Rodriguez the clear runway to start as a rookie.
Rodriguez was way too productive in college for it to be a fluke.
And yes, having David Bailey screaming off the edge to impact the opposing quarterback helped Rodriguez's cause. Nevertheless, it's clear that Rodriguez thrived on his own merits.
Good on Jon-Eric Sullivan if Rodriguez lives up to the hype. Assuming he got it right with left guard Kadyn Proctor and cornerback Chris Johnson in the first round, that'd be a heck of a 3-for-3 start in the draft. That would indeed be the Packers Southeast Way, eh?
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