Joseph McDonald
Jacob Rodriguez Scouting Report
Jacob Rodriguez was a four-star dual-threat quarterback out of S. H. Rider High School in Wichita Falls, Texas. In 2021, he spent his freshman season at the University of Virginia, where he served as an offensive “athlete”. The following season, he transferred to Texas Tech and switched permanently to linebacker. After developing in 2022, Rodriguez was poised to have a big impact in 2023, but unfortunately sprained his foot in week 1 and missed 8 games. He finished strong, winning the Independence Bowl Defensive MVP. After earning First-Team All-Big 12 honors in 2024, Rodriguez exploded in 2025. Not only was he a Unanimous First-Team All-American and the Butkus Award winner, deeming him the best linebacker in college football, but he was also named the Bronko Nagurski Award winner. This earned him the title of the best defensive player in college football.
Rodriguez has good athletic ability. He possesses good speed, acceleration, and impressive lateral agility. Also, he performed impressively at the combine, recording the 7th-best 40-yard dash time, 6th-best vertical, and best shuttle drill time for all linebackers. His main issue in this field is his body type. Rodriguez is undersized at the linebacker position, standing at 6 ‘1″, 231 pounds. This limits his reach and causes him to get pushed around in the tackle box. On the other hand, Rodriguez has an elite mental ability. His QB background is evident in his pre-snap recognition and ability to execute his duties effectively. He knows everyone’s job on the field and is able to help his defense make adjustments on the fly. The 23-year-old is competitively tough, playing through the whistle and never taking a play off.
The All-American is a very good tackler. He is a sure tackle who makes open-field tackles with ease. If he is able to get his hands on the ball carrier, it is more than likely that they are going down. He is a very good run defender who quickly gets downhill to the point of attack and stops the ball carrier in their tracks. His major weakness in tackling is the overaggressive angles he takes when pursuing ball carriers, which lead to missed tackles. Thanks to his high football IQ, Rodriguez has very good play recognition. This, once again, is thanks in part to his quarterback background. While he correctly recognizes play at a high rate, he falters when he misreads plays that incorporate misdirection and play-action, often biting early and hard on the fakes due to his urgency to reach the ball carrier.
Rodriguez’s ball skills are elite. He possesses active hands, looking to bat the ball when rushing the QB and deflect passes in coverage. Furthermore, he has great hands in coverage, making impressive interceptions and pass breakups as a linebacker. His ball skills are also seen in his ability to force fumbles. Rodriguez’s punch is extremely effective, leading the FBS in forced fumbles in 2025. His coverage ability is very good. This is evident in Texas Tech’s trust in him to frequently cover running backs and tight ends, and occasionally wide receivers, in coverage. He covers receivers in phase well, keeps up thanks to his speed, and doesn’t seem to get shaken by jukes. He is also effective in zone coverage, though he does occasionally get lost, leading to coverage busts. His coverage issues mainly stem from his attention to the quarterback. Rodriguez flows in the direction of QB’s eyes, which can be very
effective, especially in college, but when he becomes reliant on this, it becomes dangerous, where QBs can throw him off their scent. This could be seriously exposed in the NFL when dealing with elite passers like Stafford. He wasn’t often used as a rusher in Tech’s defense, and it’s not his game, mainly because of his size.
In conclusion, Jacob Rodriguez is a highly instinctive, athletic linebacker with elite mental processing, strong tackling ability, and excellent ball skills, highlighted by his 2025 All-American season and award-winning production. His quarterback background shows in his play recognition and leadership, though his undersized frame, aggressive pursuit angles, and susceptibility to misdirection raise concerns. Overall, he projects as a high-end starting Mike linebacker with Pro Bowl potential, likely to be selected in the late first or early second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Scheme and Team Fit
Rodriguez would work best in a scheme that uses him as a Mike linebacker, where he can demonstrate his ability to stop the run and display his strong leadership and high IQ by helping to align the defense, making adjustments, and calling pre-snap. A team that would be a fit for Rodriguez is the Dallas Cowboys. A team known for developing smart athletic inside linebackers, such as Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith, would help to exemplify Rodriguez’s strengths. Additionally, they have a glaring hole at linebacker, and with Rodriguez’s experience and smarts, he could plug into the starting role with little to no bumps. The Cowboys are also in a position to trade back in the 1st round to get Rodriguez at a more appropriate spot, while possibly acquiring a 2nd-round pick, which they currently lack.
NFL Player Comp: Fred Warner
Rodriguez’s player comp is Fred Warner. Both are instinctive, active tackle machines who tend to force fumbles. They both are also very responsive to the quarterback’s eyes, and coming out of college, Warner also took incorrect angles on ball carriers.
Projection: High-End Starter
Rodriguez’s elite mental ability and well-rounded game project him as a high-end starter who will consistently be in the conversation for the Pro Bowl. Additionally, if he gets the opportunity to start would most likely be a shoo-in for 100+ tackles a season.
Grade: 6.17, Late First-Early Second Round Pick
His final grade is 6.17 and will most likely be taken in the late 1st or early 2nd round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
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