The Dallas Cowboys have a unique opportunity in the 2026 NFL draft with a pair of 1st round picks to not only set themselves up for success in the short term but in the long term by hitting home runs with those picks.
That doesn’t just extend to the 1st round. The Cowboys could very well find long-term solutions outside of the No. 12 and No. 20 overall picks, including at their most glaring position of need on defense at inside linebacker.
To that end, they might just need to look in-state to find that solution with Texas Tech All-American inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who might very well still be available when the Cowboys pick in the 3rd round at No. 92 overall.
“For me, and you may think differently and that is okay, but the biggest need is still at the linebacker spot,” Inside the Star’s Shane Taylor wrote on Tuesday. “As of now, the off-ball linebackers are DeMarvion Overshown, Shemar James, and Justin Barron. That clearly needs some work. My major issue is that everyone is putting stock into Overshown, and he has played 18 games in three years because of that knee injury, and he has to at least show me that he is able to stay on the field before I buy all the way into him.”
Jacob Rodriguez Flashes Rare Speed at NFL Combine
If we are making a case for the Cowboys drafting Rodriguez, we can start with his speed and athleticism. At the NFL scouting combine in February, the 6-foot-2, 231-pound Texas native ran the 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds to go with a 38.5-inch vertical leap and 10-foot, 1-inch broad jump.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein compared Rodriguez to none other than Cleveland Browns linebacker and 2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger, who was a 2nd round pick.
“Rodriguez arrived in college as an offensive ‘athlete’ and leaves Texas Tech as a bigger-than-life, stat-stuffing linebacker,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s uniquely productive, with elite tackle, interception and forced fumble production. He’ll occasionally bounce out of a run fit when chasing action, but he has the burst to race back inside and finish. He’s slippery working off blocks and navigating combo climbers. His lateral pursuit leaves the station on time and with a fast take-off. Rodriguez displays ballhawking instincts and outstanding hands but busted coverages were part of the package in 2025. His unbridled urgency and “make every play” mindset can inflate missed tackle totals, but the production should outweigh the occasional headaches. He projects as a long-term starting inside linebacker.”
Texas Tech, Jacob Rodriguez: Season for the Ages
Rodriguez led the Big 12 in solo tackles each of the last 2 seasons.
In 2025, he put together a stat line for the ages as he led the Red Raiders into the College Football Playoff for the first time with 128 tackles, 11 TFL, 4 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries, and led the nation with 7 forced fumbles.
The biggest question on Rodriguez after the season was his speed, which he answered with his performance at the combine — something scouts should have known he had in spades after he spent his freshman season at Virginia as a quarterback/running back/wide receiver. That’s typically an indication of an elite athlete.
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