Many Miami Dolphins fans are just now finding out who Jacob Rodriguez is and what he brings to the team. Sure, there is a physically gifted athlete with great vision and awareness, and there is a high IQ to go with it.
What fans don't know might be surprising, but maybe it shouldn't be. When watching the Texas Tech game tape, someone else comes to mind, someone familiar. Someone who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He eerily looks a lot like Zach Thomas.
It shouldn't be surprising. Both were members of Texas Tech, and after being drafted by the Dolphins, Rodriguez told reporters that he had been mentored by the Dolphins' legend.
Miami @ProFootballHOF linebacker Zach Thomas spoke the Dolphins pick into existence when we visited with him in Miami back in January. pic.twitter.com/DpChPZsmbt
— A David Collier (@CollieronTV) April 25, 2026
Jacob Rodriguez was destined to be a member of the Miami Dolphins
It's one thing to be drafted by the Dolphins, but you have to wonder if Thomas had any input with the Dolphins. Was he asked his opinion, or was the Red Raider tape enough? Regardless, there is more than irony at play.
Something about those @TexasTechFB linebackers 😎 pic.twitter.com/t9vJn7mlPn
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) April 25, 2026
Thomas isn't the only one. Jordyn Brooks was also a linebacker for Texas Tech, and he, too, has been talking with Rodriguez. If his arrival doesn't move Brooks out of the organization, there will be a fantastic trio of backers in Brooks, Rodriguez, and Tyrel Dodson.
Rodriguez wasn't the only Dolphins draft pick who was destined to become a member of the Dolphins. Kadyn Proctor was drafted in round one, and when he met with the media on Friday, he showcased an eerily fun tattoo.
Kayden Proctor, Dolphins first rounder, has 1972 tatooed on his knuckles
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) April 24, 2026
It’s in honor of his stepfather
“I guess it was meant to be.” pic.twitter.com/TcmBYyG6w9
The tattoo is not for the Dolphins' perfect season, but for his stepfather. In South Florida, it carries a different meaning, but Proctor knows, and now his tat comes with more relevance to the city that he will soon call home.
Throughout the first two rounds, the Dolphins did well adding football players to the roster, and by that we mean guys that love the game, respect it, and want to get better. Jon-Eric Sullivan is doing more than putting a fingerprint on the team; he is stamping it into their psyche.