Summary

Jacob Rodriguez (23 years old) is a prolific linebacker who began his college career at Virginia in 2021 playing on offense before transferring to Texas Tech in 2022 and converting to linebacker with no further transfers. In 2025 season, Rodriguez posted 117 tackles, seven forced fumbles (leading FBS), four interceptions, 12 pass breakups and two defensive touchdowns, anchoring Texas Tech’s defense and helping the Red Raiders win the Big 12 Championship. His dominant all-around play in 2025 earned him the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player, the Lombardi Award, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and unanimous All-America honors, marking one of the most decorated defensive seasons in the country. In addition to his wacky production, Rodriguez’s intangibles are off the charts as he is widely viewed as a disciplined, team-oriented leader who is rooted in his strong Christian faith and family support. Rodriguez’s wife, Emma, is an active-duty U.S. Army black hawk helicopter pilot and Rodriguez has done a lot of work in his community, especially when it comes to honoring veterans. In terms of injury history, Rodriguez overcame a significant foot injury in 2023 that limited him to five games, but has since stayed healthy and durable, showcasing resilience and commitment to his development as a top-tier defender.

Strengths

Ball Magnet: Consistently around the football with strong instincts and nose for the ball, absolutely breaking the Depth turnover metric scale (9.50 out of 5.00). Rodriguez was even poaching turnovers left and right during his week in Mobile at the Senior Bowl.
Hammer vs. the Nail: Reads keys quickly and triggers downhill with confidence against interior runs. Wraps up and drives through contact, limiting yards after contact.
Slippery: Closes space quickly when attacking downhill or fitting interior gaps. Shows feel for interior pressure, slipping through creases with acceleration.
Intangibly Rich: Plays with relentless effort and pursues laterally across the formation. Unequivocal leader of the Red Raiders defense and displays command of alignments and communicates effectively pre-snap.

Weaknesses

Game Speed vs. Timed Speed: Can be stretched vertically by athletic tight ends and running backs and linear foot speed isn’t the name of his game.
Non-Latin Hips: Tightness in the hips shows when redirecting in space and make sudden cuts.
Man Coverage Limitations: More comfortable in zone than mirroring shifty slot receivers.
Washed in Traffic: Can be engulfed by bigger offensive linemen at the second level. Will occasionally overrun plays due to aggressive flow.

Outlook

Rodriguez is a physical, instinctive defender with strong tackling ability, sideline-to-sideline range, and the play recognition to make an impact against both the run and short-to-intermediate passing game. He projects best in multiple-look defensive schemes that value athletic, three-down linebackers—especially 4-3 fronts with hybrid roles or 3-4 systems that allow him to flow downhill, scrape to the ball, and drop into zone coverage to take the ball away rather than strictly shadow in man-heavy concepts. Consensus draft boards currently view Rodriguez as a mid-round prospect (Rounds 2–3) with upside to rise if he shows elite athletic testing, but we have him as a premier player on our Big Board due to his rich marriage of production, instincts, and intangibly rich score making him a plug and play starter in the next level.

Pro Comparison: Kiko Alonso

Team Fits: JAX, MIN, TB, NYG, CIN

Report written by Filip Prus