The Miami Dolphins may have lost their opener to the Raiders, but they may have also found a bona fide star in the making. Jacob Rodriguez did something no other rookie has done since Zach Thomas was on the field.
In 1996, the Dolphins Hall of Fame linebacker (that is still so awesome to say) had 9 tackles in his rookie debut; he followed that up with 16 in Week 2. On Sunday, Rodriguez recorded the most tackles by a rookie since Thomas, racking up 14. The Dolphins' new rookie has a long way to go before he starts to earn the respect that Thomas did, but his game on Sunday is drawing a lot of attention.
It's only a week, but those who are tracking the potential players for Defensive Rookie of the Year are starting to talk about Rodriguez.
Miami Dolphins' Jacob Rodriguez is turning heads after week one breakout
Videos of Rodriguez's performance are easy to find. Jump on the social media platform "X" and search his name. Needless to say, he was literally everywhere on the field defensively.
NFL DROY Rankings, via Kalshi:
— Kalshi Sports (@KalshiSports) September 16, 2026
1. Jacob Rodriguez (24%)
2. David Bailey (20%)
3. Caleb Downs (13%)
4. Rueben Bain Jr (11%)
5. Sonny Styles (10%)
6. Arvell Reese (9%)
7. Mansoor Delane (8%)
8. Josiah Trotter (4%)
9. Anthony Hill Jr (3%)
10. Cashius Howell (3%) pic.twitter.com/78sQD6ll8p
Being at the top of a list of incredible talent is not just surprising; it's exciting. We know it's only the first game, but what is impressive is how many other rookies and limited-experience veterans he was on the field with. The game wasn't too big for the second-round pick.
- Pro Football Network - Ranked Rodriguez in the top-20 in their impact metrics
- Panini Senior Bowl - Named Rodriguez the Rookie of the Week
- Pro Football Focus - Rated him with a 90.3 week one grade
- Brian Baldinger - Broke down Rodriguez on his "Baldy's Breakdown"
"His poise is crazy. He's very, very calm. His presence is calming to everybody else," Dante Trader spoke with the media and praised the rookie defensive captain. "To be a rookie, to go out there with the green dot, making all the tackles, commanding the defense, and just being a dawg at the end of the day, it's infectious."
The task now is to keep it up. He faces a tough 49ers offense in week 2.
Rodriguez may have had a great game, but his rookie teammate, Chris Johnson, wasn't a slouch either. Johnson was credited with two pass breakups and 11 tackles. While he was blamed for giving up two touchdowns, his head coach defended his position by stating that he was supposed to have help. Rookie safety Michael Taaffe told the media that he was responsible for the coverage mistakes.
The Dolphins rookies took a staggering 27.2% of the total snaps on Sunday. The Browns, who came in at number two, saw their rookies take 16.7% of the snaps. Fans need to let that sink in.
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