The Miami Dolphins entered the 2026 NFL Draft needing to fill a large number of holes on their roster. Jon-Eric Sullivan hopes he has done just that in his first ever draft as the general manager for the Dolphins.
Prior to the draft, Sullivan spoke on what he considered a successful draft pick to be. He said, “Obviously a player that comes in and impacts your team in a positive manner, both on the field and in the locker room. I think the expectations of that, it’s all dependent upon where you take them, right? And you never know, I mean this isn’t an exact science. Obviously the higher you pick a player, those premium picks, you expect them to come in and perform and play at a level that impacts your team.”
The team will now hope linebacker Jacob Rodriguez will match those expectations after being selected with the No. 43 overall pick. While it remains to be seen what kind of impact Rodriguez will have, Dolphins fans should be encouraged by knowing that a new report stated that if Miami had not selected him, he would have likely been drafted by a division rival.
Miami Dolphins Stole Jacob Rodriguez From New York Jets
New York Jets reporter Connor Long revealed (via X) that the Jets were targeting Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez with the team’s No. 44 pick. Long posted: “SOURCES: The Jets were targeting Jacob Rodriguez at No. 44, but after he went at 43, they adjusted—trading back to select Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds while adding a fourth-round pick.”
When asked about Rodriguez, Jon-Eric Sullivan said, “I can’t say enough good things about Jacob (Rodriguez), and I think more importantly, the people that have been around him for the time that they have at Texas Tech and the things they say about him not only as a football player and the intangibles, but the type of person he is – the tape speaks for itself, he’s all over the field. He makes plays everywhere. His instincts are second to none. He can play in space, on third downs and he’s going to help this football team. But he’s a leader. He’s a green dot guy. He’ll call the defense in time, and I think he’ll fit really well in the room with (Jordyn) Brooks and ‘T. Dot’ (Tyrel Dodson) and he’d be a great addition to the Miami Dolphins.”
Jacob Rodriguez Prospect Profile
Rodriguez was the No. 42 ranked prospect by NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah. Regarding Rodriguez, Jeremiah wrote:
“Rodriguez is an off-ball linebacker with outstanding instincts, playmaking ability and intangibles. He’s a dominant player against the run, sorting through the muddy box to locate ball-carriers and bring them to the ground. He finds a lane and attacks with inside-out leverage. He’s a tackle for loss machine. His lateral range is excellent, too. In pass coverage, he’s best utilized as a zone dropper. He relies on his awareness/feel for the game to position himself for interceptions and pass breakups. In man coverage, he does have some issues when he’s asked to stop/start and mirror. He has a unique ability to punch the ball away as a tackler, leading to 13 career forced fumbles, including seven last season. Overall, Rodriguez is polished and equipped to make an immediate impact.”
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