Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer will attend Texas Tech Pro Day as LB Jacob Rodriguez’s massive NFL Combine boosts his draft stock.
Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez may have turned the NFL Scouting Combine into his personal launchpad, and the Dallas Cowboys are paying attention.
With Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer expected to attend Texas Tech’s Pro Day on March 26, the Red Raiders’ defensive stars could soon find themselves squarely on Dallas’ draft radar.
That attention makes sense considering the Cowboys’ biggest issue last season.
Dallas fielded one of the worst defenses in the NFL in 2025, surrendering 30.1 points per game, the highest mark in the league. Even with a high-powered offense led by Dak Prescott, the defensive struggles ultimately kept the Cowboys out of the playoffs.
Now the organization appears determined to fix that problem quickly.
Texas Tech could offer several solutions.
Rodriguez, along with defensive linemen David Bailey and Lee Hunter, impressed scouts during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, helping elevate the reputation of a Red Raiders defense that quietly ranked among the most productive units in college football last season.
But Rodriguez may have made the loudest statement.
The linebacker delivered one of the most complete athletic performances among players at his position. His 4.57-second 40-yard dash ranked among the fastest for linebackers, but it was his agility numbers that truly stood out.
Rodriguez finished first among linebackers in both the three-cone drill (6.9 seconds) and the 20-yard shuttle (4.19 seconds) while also topping the group in a reaction speed test that reached 18.43 mph.
Add in a 38.5-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-1 broad jump, and scouts suddenly saw a linebacker with rare movement skills.
That athleticism complements a body of work built on production.
Over his final 27 games at Texas Tech, Rodriguez piled up 255 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, five interceptions, and four forced fumbles. He also scored two defensive touchdowns, proving he can flip games in a hurry.
Those numbers, combined with his combine performance, have pushed Rodriguez’s draft stock upward. What once looked like a second- or third-round projection could now turn into a late first-round selection.
That’s where the Cowboys enter the conversation.
Dallas owns two first-round picks at No. 12 and No. 20, giving the franchise flexibility to target defensive help early in the draft.
With new defensive coordinator Christian Parker implementing a more versatile scheme, a sideline-to-sideline linebacker like Rodriguez could become a centerpiece of the rebuild.
If Schottenheimer leaves Lubbock impressed, the Cowboys may not have to look far to find the defensive spark they desperately need.