Drafted: No. 43 overall
I had Rodriguez going in Round 1 in my final mock, so that tells you how I feel about the value of landing him 43rd. The Dolphins are in reset mode, trying to establish a winning culture under new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley. I can’t think of a more perfect addition to that effort than Rodriguez, who will be an instant tone-setter for the defense. He’s well-versed in building something from the ground up, having started his career as a scholarship quarterback at Virginia, only to transfer to Texas Tech, where he had to restart as a walk-on and then reinvented himself as a linebacker. By the time he left school after last season, he was a top-five vote-getter in the Heisman Trophy race and one of the most decorated players in college football. He also has a master’s in taking the ball away, as the only FBS player since at least 2005 with seven-plus forced fumbles and four-plus interceptions in a single season, per NFL Research. He crushed draft season, surprising folks with the athleticism he displayed at the NFL Scouting Combine, and he has the makings of a foundational player for the new regime in Miami.
