Measurables
- 6‘1 Height
- 235 lb. Weight
2025 Stats
- 94 Solo Tackles
- 30 Assist Tackles
- 20 Missed Tackles (13.9%)
- 70 Run Stops
- 7 Forced Fumbles
- 54 Receptions Allowed / 66 Targets = 81.8%
- 523 Yards Allowed (7.9 YPA)
- 343 Yards After Contact Allowed (6.4 Per Catch)
- 2 TDs Allowed
- 4 INTs
- 3 Pass Break Ups
- 84.5 Passer Rating Allowed
- 6 Pressures (15% Pressure Rate)
- 2 QB Hits
- 1 Sack
Awards/Accolades
- Chuck Bednarik Award Winner (2025, Top Defensive Player)
- Bronco Nagurski Award Winner (2025, Best Defensive Player)
- Dick Butkus Award Winner (2025, Best Linebacker)
- Lombardi Award Winner (2025, Best Collegiate Player)
- Top Defensive Player Heisman Votes Received (2025)
Strengths
- Rangy Linebacker with sideline to sideline ability.
- Maniacal in his punchouts, always looking to dislodge the football with fast strikes.
- Instinctive in Zone Coverage, Eyes are on the QB like a Hawk. Can bait QBs into errant passes. Has a WR background and his hands show it.
- Flies to the ball for short gains. It’s a combination of strong speed, quick diagnosing, and acceleration.
- Slippery against blockers, knows how to get around them in the run and pass.
- Good Tackling technique.
- Relentless motor, always running full speed in pursuit and in coverage.
Weaknesses
- Undersized and short arms causes most of his on tape problems:
- Even with Good Tackling Technique his ability to wrap up ball carriers is inconsistent.
- Lacks power in his hits, which is an issue against bigger backs and ball carriers which creates extra Yards After Contact opportunities.
- Can Struggle to get free of blockers once they get their mitts on him. Not enough anchor to hold up against them and will get pushed back.
- Can be thrown over the top of in contested catch situations against bigger TEs or slot WRs.
Draft Projection
Round 3-4 Grade
In my initial Big Board Top 100, Rodriguez ranked 93rd with a Round 3-4 Grade. Coverage Linebackers are becoming more and more scarce in the NFL, making his skillset all the more coveted.
Jacob Rodriguez is the most decorated defender in the 2026 Draft class with his dominant season this past year at Texas Tech. His signature playmaking abilities on defense aren’t going away, as he can make splash plays with his Peanut punch, his coverage instincts, and ball skills. Colts fans will be reminded of Darius Shaquille Leonard with the way Rodriguez attacks the ball, which has led to many iconic moments in both players careers.
But unlike Leonard, Rodriguez lacks the length that Chris Ballard has coveted in his linebackers in drafts’ past. While both playmaking LBs had their issues in block shedding due to being undersized, Rodriguez’s lack of length further exacerbates the issue and causes more problems in tackling and pass contesting. He will need a strong combine performance in both speed and explosiveness testing to help lessen some of these concerns, but there might be clear limits to what he can do in his pro career based on his measurables.
Some schemes will value him a lot more, and the Colts seemingly have adjusted their Linebacker specifications as of late with Lou Anarumo at Defensive Coordinator to not value length as much in his first year. The fit with the Colts is interesting, as his range, coverage ability, and playmaking are sorely needed at WILL Linebacker. But if he doesn’t have adequate Defensive Tackles in front of him to free him up from blockers, there can be some issues against the run.
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