The Miami Dolphins sure made some bizarre picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, but fans couldn't expect GM Jon-Eric Sullivan to fall in line with the consensus on all 13 of his selections.
This incoming crop of collegiate talent is almost two years' worth of a traditional rookie class. Whereas doubts linger around first-round pick Kadyn Proctor and third-round receiver Caleb Douglas, one of Miami's most universally praised picks was Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
Considering he finished fifth in Heisman voting last season as an off-ball linebacker, Rodriguez indeed felt like a great value in Round 2 with the 43rd overall pick. But this latest analysis from an NFL personnel expert is bound to shoot his hype to another level.
Jacob Rodriguez draws Zach Thomas comparison as a future Miami Dolphins franchise cornerstone after NFL Draft
Mike Sando of The Athletic gathered a mass dump of intel from NFL executives to get their league-wide thoughts on the draft. Quite an ambitious piece that's well worth the read for any fanbase.
An anonymous executive in Sando's survey gushed about Rodriguez's upside and saw a lot of Thomas in him:
"I think Jacob Rodriguez is a steal. He is Zach Thomas reincarnated. A little undersized, but the most instinctive guy in the draft."
Thomas had much humbler draft beginnings as a fifth-round pick in 1996. However, Rodriguez's fellow Texas Tech alum far exceeded that status.
Just how good was Zach Thomas? How does being named a first-team All-Pro five times sound? He was a seven-time Pro Bowler back when that meant something, too. Thomas was the heart and soul of a Miami defense that did its best to hang tough as Dan Marino's career wound down. As the Fins' futile efforts to search for Marino's successor persisted, Thomas was a constant rock.
The hope is that the Dolphins have found a viable quarterback in Malik Willis so that Rodriguez and the rest of the rookies on defense won't have to carry the team. There's always the colossally-hyped 2027 draft class that has an alleged infinite quantity of franchise QBs, but that's way down the road.
Rodriguez has to be thrilled with the Thomas comparison in any event. He's cited Thomas as a mentor, and what better way to honor him than to achieve any level of success close to where Thomas wound up as a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Over his last two collegiate seasons, Rodriguez piled up the following numbers: 255 combined tackles (21.5 TFL), six sacks, five interceptions, and 10 forced fumbles, including an NCAA record seven last year.
Between that elite production, Rodriguez's strong athletic profile, and Jordyn Brooks mentoring him (barring a trade), the rookie linebacker appears to be a star in the making in Miami.
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