Miami Dolphins rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez is garnering plenty of praise and has now been predicted to be the camp starter in 2026.
The Miami Dolphins rookies have reported to training camp, and there is a lot of promise expected from the 13 players who were selected by the team in the 2026 NFL Draft.
One such player who continues to garner praise is rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. The former Texas Tech Red Raider defender won multiple collegiate awards due to his physicality and turnover margin, leading NFL analyst Manti Te'o to select him as the 2026 camp star.
"I'm going to Miami. Jacob Rodriguez will be a surprise star that will emerge out of the 305. Jacob Rodriguez. Look at that. There's clips already. There are clips of this man doing exactly what made him a Heisman candidate in college. He takes the ball away," Te'o said on "Good Morning Football."
Rodriguez led the Big 12 conference with seven forced fumbles, showing his ability and perfection of the "peanut punch," which is where a defender punches the ball out of the carrier's hands. Te'o also pointed to the rookie having done that in video from OTAs and minicamp.
The big question is whether or not Rodriguez will get the kind of playing time he needs to emerge as a playmaker in 2026.
Te'o continued to praise the Dolphins rookie, pointing to his ability to play the kind of tough brand of football that head coach Jeff Hafley has been preaching about.
"That is the greatest stat for a defensive player. Look at the peanut punch on this young man. I think Jacob Rodriguez, the reason why they drafted him there is because Jeff Hafley knows in his scheme he needs a smart linebacker and somebody that's going to get the ball to the offense. And Jacob Rodriguez did that at Texas Tech and he's going to do that in NFL," Te'o said.
Rodriguez has already garnered respect from fellow Red Raider Jordyn Brooks. Brooks has taken the rookie defender under his wing, and both have had the benefit of Hall of Famer and fellow alumnus Zach Thomas also offering his tutelage.
Miami has a good problem in the linebacker room, which is led by Brooks and Tyrel Dodson. Rodriguez is now the young talent who can emerge in camp and also in the regular season. It will all just depend on where he fits into Hafley's scheme as a rookie who is below two established veterans.
Should Rodriguez use his potential limited snaps to cause havoc on the field and turnovers, it will be hard to justify his staying off the field in defensive situations. Hafley did indicate that most of the rookies will see significant playing time, but there are established veterans in multiple positions that may also need to remain in play to give the Dolphins the best chance at winning.
Either way, there is a lot of backing for Rodriguez, simply due to how he operates when playing football.
