Mike Tannenbaum believes Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez plays like a Hall of Famer. He just doesn’t believe Rodriguez will be drafted like one. The former New York Jets and Miami Dolphins general manager listed Rodriguez among his third-round targets in ESPN’s seven-round draft board, a projection that conflicts sharply with the Zach Thomas comparison Tannenbaum himself made.
The Disconnect Between Praise and Projection for Jacob Rodriguez
The comparison runs deeper than size, as Thomas played at Texas Tech before the Dolphins selected him in the fifth round of the 1996 draft. He was 5-foot-11 and 228 pounds, considered too small and not athletic enough by scouts despite winning the Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year and finishing as a Butkus Award finalist.
“Rodriguez reminds me so much of Hall of Famer Zach Thomas,” Tannenbaum wrote. “He has an incredible knack for forcing fumbles (seven last season, 13 over his career), and he picked off four passes in 2025. Typically, when someone is that productive and instinctive, it carries over to the next level. I’d want him on my team, even though he’s slightly undersized at 6-foot-1 and 231 pounds. It’s sort of impossible to think he won’t make it as a starter in the NFL.”
Thomas went on to record seven Pro Bowl selections, five All-Pro selections, and the fifth-most tackles in NFL history. His calling card was preparation, instincts, and an ability to diagnose plays before the snap.
Rodriguez fits that mold. He’s a former Texas Tech standout who won the awards Thomas nearly won, including the Butkus. He processes fast, flows to the ball, and creates turnovers at an elite rate. Both players were questioned for their measurables and praised for their football intelligence. The difference: Rodriguez tested far better at the combine than Thomas ever did.
Rodriguez won the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker, the Bronco Nagurski Trophy as the top defensive player, and the Lombardi Award. He posted 128 tackles, seven forced fumbles, four interceptions, and 11 tackles for loss in 2025 while anchoring a Texas Tech defense that led the FBS in takeaways and rushing yards allowed. His 90.1 impact score on PFSN’s CFB LB Impact Metric was the second-highest mark recorded by any linebacker in the 2025 season.
Rodriguez then answered athletic questions at the combine. He ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash at 231 pounds, posted a 38.5-inch vertical, and recorded a 6.90 three-cone time, the best among all linebackers. His 9.23 Relative Athletic Score graded elite in every category except size.
Why Rodriguez Won’t Last Until Round Three in the NFL Draft
Tannenbaum’s third-round projection made sense before Indianapolis. It no longer does. Rodriguez entered the combine with concerns about whether his college dominance would translate against NFL athleticism, but he left with those concerns largely erased.
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PFSN’s Big Board ranks Rodriguez as the fourth-best linebacker in this year’s draft and the 51st overall prospect. It indicates that, at worst, the Texas Tech star will be a second-round pick.
The NFL translation looks cleaner than the measurables suggest. Rodriguez’s background as a high school quarterback who played receiver, tight end, and running back at Virginia before converting to linebacker explains his ball skills.
Teams looking for an instinctive, high-motor defender who can flow to the ball and create turnovers will push Rodriguez up their boards. He profiles best in a 4-3 scheme that lets him read and react rather than absorbing blocks from guards.
Teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and Buccaneers, have already met with him at the combine. Tannenbaum got the comp right, but the round projection won’t age as well.
