The Cleveland Browns want to keep their #4 defensive ranking. New head coach Todd Monken knows this roster has a jewel in what Jim Schwartz built.
Last year, GM Andrew Berry drafted a tackling machine in LB Carson Schwesinger out of UCLA. Now, a Schwesinger clone is ready to be added to Cleveland’s roster.
RELATED: LB SONNY STYLES PROFILE
Plainly put, Rodriguez is another tackling machine. He had 128 total tackles this past season and 127 the year before. Pair him with Schwesinger and watch the fireworks
each week.
This guy’s superpower is a knack for stripping the ball from the ball carrier. He led the conference last year with seven and has 13 for his career. At the Senior Bowl, he had three stripped fumbles in three practice sessions.
Notice how many awards and accolades Rodriguez has. 317 career tackles are a huge indicator of where his production meter is. Was named the “Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.”
LB Jacob Rodriguez
Draft projection: Round 2
Browns pick: #39
Specifics:
Career Tackles for Loss: 25.5
Career Pass Defenses: 12
Accolades: Unanimous All-American, Two-time First Team All-Big 12, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Butkus Award winner, Nagurski Trophy winner, Lombardi Award winner, Bednarik Award winner, Pony Express Award winner
Positives:
- Excellent tackler
- Able to diagnose run plays fast
- Active hands
- Excellent forced fumble technique
- Great pursuit ability
- Leader: Two-time captain
- Good pre-snap communication
- Great lateral burst
- Works with good leverage
Negatives:
- Cutback runs give him problems
- Tight on peripheral awareness
- Will bite on misdirection
- Shorter arms are an issue
Expert Draft Site Analysis
Rodriguez became one of the country’s highest-volume defenders, and in 13 games, he produced 127 tackles, 10.5 TFL, five sacks, plus an INT and three forced fumbles with two fumble recoveries. He had an unbelievable career-high of 17 tackles in one game. An interesting fact, Rodriguez became the only FBS player since 2005 to have a college career with 300+ total tackles, 10+ forced fumbles, 5+ interceptions, and 5+ fumble recoveries. Rodriguez is an instinctive, high-motor off-ball linebacker whose value comes from how quickly he sees it, triggers, and finishes. His tape shows a true downhill striker with strong tackling efficiency, good pursuit angles, and consistent production in the backfield as both a blitzer and run defender, plus enough zone awareness to survive as a three-down option in today’s nickel-heavy NFL.
