I suspect it’s human nature. Anyone who comes along in any sport will eventually be compared to someone who has played it before. I don’t know if it’s fair to whoever the current player is, as they are often compared to past greats before playing a single down at the professional level. This would seem to set a ceiling for some of these players that ultimately proves unattainable. This, in turn, may cause a fan base to view the player less favorably than they might otherwise, even if the player proves to be solid
despite never reaching the level of play of the past player they are compared to.
This is obviously being done to a recent draft pick, the linebacker out of Texas Tech, Jacob Rodriquez. Rodriquez is being compared to long-time Miami Dolphins great Zach Thomas. While this seems like a lofty level for any new LB in the league to aspire to, I, for one, hope that he, at the very least, is a good-to-great player for years to come, who also gives us the same kind of vibes. But what of the rest of the 2026 Dolphins draft class?
- Pick #12 Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
- Pick #27 Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
- Pick #43 Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
- Pick #75 Caleb Douglas, WR, Texas Tech
- Pick #75 Will Kacmarek, TE, Oklahoma State
- Pick #94 Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
- Pick #130 Trey Moore, Edge, Texas
- Pick #138 Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh
- Pick #158 Michael Taaffe, S, Texas
- Pick #177 Kevin Coleman Jr., WR, Missouri
- Pick #180 Seydon Traore, TE, Mississippi State
- Pick #200 DJ Campbell, G, Texas
- Pick #238 Max Llewellyn, Edge, Iowa
So this evening’s Phinsider Question Of The Day is:
Assuming Jacom Rodriguez is comparable at this point to Zach Thomas (unless you have a better/different comparison for him), what other comparisons would you make for the other players from the Miami Dolphins’ 2026 NFL Draft class? This comparison can be a former Dolphins player or any other NFL player, or, I guess, really anyone.
Please share your thoughts and answers in the comments section below-
