The Miami Dolphins are leaning into being the NFL's youngest team this season, and for good reason. After an offseason that saw many of the faces that defined the most recent era of Dolphins football be given their walking papers (Tua Tagovailoa, Bradley Chubb, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, etc.), as well as a (mostly) new coaching staff and front office taking over, things were going to look much different.
It wasn't until the deadline to finalize their 53-man roster, however, that we got to see just how committed to giving their young players a runway to develop they seem to be. The prime example was general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan's decision to part ways with linebacker Tyrel Dodson, who started 16 games last season next to Jordyn Brooks.
Sullivan made it clear in his press conference that Dodson competed hard in camp, but that he liked what their trio of rookie linebackers, led by second-round pick Jacob Rodriguez, proved this summer. On Tuesday, head coach Jeff Hafley got the chance to add his two cents about Rodriguez in particular, and he had plenty to say about the young defender.
"He's a guy that he's just extremely mature and he's very quickly become a pro," Hafley said to the media. "When I say that, you get here early and you go down to the weight room and he's got a routine where he's stretching at 5:30, 6 o'clock in the morning. He's probably one of the first guys eating a good meal at breakfast and then he's meeting extra in the meeting rooms and he's just doing everything that it takes some guys to be a veteran to do."
Jeff Hafley gushs over the maturity of Miami Dolphins rookie LB Jacob Rodriguez
Often times with rookies, especially the highly drafted ones, it isn't the physical aspect of the game that keeps them off the field early on. The mental jump from college to the NFL, especially at a position like linebacker, is one that few players are equipped to make right away.
By proving he has the maturity and work ethic needed to be ready to hit the ground running, Rodriguez has clearly made an immediate impression on his HC. Hafley spent plenty time of gushing over how he operates like a veteran, but he also gave him credit for how he looks on the field.
"Once you get on the field, he's got a great presence about him on the field," Hafley explained. "It's not too big for him. He's really, really physical. He's a good communicator. He knows where to be. He's very instinctive and he's good in coverage."
It's no surprise that the Dolphins HC saw examples of Rodriguez being in the right place at the right time often in camp. Especially early on in camp, the Texas Tech product was consistently forcing turnovers, something that Hafley also mentioned in his thorough breakdown of why he ultimately won out over Dodson.
"If you just look back through training camp, he was able to get his hand on the football quite a bit," Hafley said. "He took the ball away, whether he was punching it out or whether he was going up and having interceptions."
That playmaking ability next to one of the most consistent, steady players in the league in Brooks could make for a top-10 linebacker duo as early as this season. Even if it takes some time for Rodriguez to get acclimated to the speed of the NFL, it's better to get him reps now when the wins and losses are less important.
Who knows, maybe he even shifts the tide in a few games this year with his nose for the ball.
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