When the NFL Draft weekend rolls around next weekend, most fans will be anxiously watching to see how the Buccaneers address their multiple front-7 needs on defense.
It may be a toss-up between what’s more dire, edge rusher or inside linebacker, but there’s little doubt that those positions will be addressed within the first three or four rounds. If it’s going to be in the Top 50, might the Buccaneers consider Texas Tech turnover machine Jacob Rodriguez? Let’s investigate.
Jacob Rodriguez’s Collegiate Career
A 3-star recruit out of S.H.
Rider High School in Wichita Falls, Texas, Rodriguez actually excelled on both sides of the ball (quarterback and safety) and was the 26th-ranked athlete in the 2021 class. He received multiple Power-5 offers to play defense but wanted to remain at quarterback, which led him to the Virginia Cavaliers.
As a freshman, he played as a reserve quarterback/receiver/running back, logging 18 total touches for 121 yards. However, he decided to enter the portal and make the transition full-time back to defense as a walk-on linebacker with Texas Tech.
After an acclimation period and a foot injury the following two years, Rodriguez started to find his next level in 2024 as a full-time starter. As a team captain, he recorded 126 tackles (10.5 for loss), 5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 interception, and 5 passes defensed, earning him First-Team Big 12.
He took it to another level in 2025, becoming a unanimous first-team All-American for a playoff-bound Red Raiders team and also garnering the prestigious Bednarik and Lombardi Awards as well as the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. He recorded 128 total tackles (11 for loss), 7 forced fumbles, 4 interceptions, and 1 sack.
He accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl and thoroughly dominated at practices, further raising his draft profile.
Pro Day and Scouting Combine
Rodriguez fully attended the Scouting Combine and tested much better than most people expected.
Measuring at a pedestrian 6-foot-1, 231 pounds with 30 7/8” arms, Rodriguez ran a strong 4.57 40-yard dash (1.6 10-yard split) with great jumps (38 1/2” vertical, 10-foot-1 broad). He puffed up the profile even more with elite agility testing (6.9-second 3-cone, 4.19-second short shuttle). As far as athletic testing goes, he absolutely meets what the Buccaneers want from their high-round draft picks.
Rodriguez understandably stood on all of his numbers at the Texas Tech Pro Day on March 26, instead focusing on position drills as he basically solidified his top pick status.
What Rodriguez Brings to the Buccaneers in 2026
If the Bucs were to select Rodriguez, he would be Sharpie’d into the starting lineup from the second he gets the call from Jason Licht and Todd Bowles, and understandably so.
Rodriguez is a ready-made starter who knows how to make splash plays thanks to his instincts and field vision. The Bucs know a thing or two about undersized linebackers with incredible turnover production (19 forced turnovers for Rodriguez), and the 23-year-old has an excellent chance to be the next man in line early on.
He complements his compact, muscular build with awesome burst to make strong tackles and disrupt ball carriers and passers alike. His level of polish when it comes to run game and coverage reads despite being so new to the position is eye-popping, and it would massively upgrade from last year’s debacle of Sir’Vocea Dennis, Deion Jones, and whomever else they were trotting out there.
A 1-2 punch of new signee Alex Anzalone and Rodriguez with Dennis in a more specialized sub-package role is a solid spot to be in.
Three-Year Outlook
Rodriguez should land on the runway smoothly given his advanced feel for the game and strong athletic base. How high he ascends will depend on a couple critical weaknesses.
First off, Rodriguez misses some tackles, which doesn’t stem necessarily from bad technique but more so from over-aggressiveness (the double-edged sword of his splash-play proclivities) and lack of length / makeup agility. That didn’t always cost him badly in college but it will in the pros, so it will continue to be a process as he maintains that careful balance between opportunism and consistency.
He also needs to refine his approach to banging around in the box, which his limited size and length exacerbates. Todd Bowles will want him to blitz, and that’s not a facet of the game Rodriguez is not intimately experienced with. He’s shown the vision and awareness to understand how to knife gaps (25.5 TFL in college), but those holes close faster and he’ll need to learn how to better operate in traffic when he can’t get through the line clean.
If those two areas improve, you could definitely see a future where Rodriguez is an upper-echelon starter who garners Pro Bowl recognition.
Stock Report
Rodriguez’s stellar production and pre-draft process have solidified his name as a top-50 selection.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has Rodriguez as his LB2 — a solidified Round 2 value at 40th overall on his Top 100 board. Brugler wrote, “Overall, Rodriguez has a very average size profile but his athletic versatility has made him a more instinctive linebacker and helps him play decisively. He should immediately compete for a starting role in the NFL.”
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein shared a similar sentiment, ranking Rodriguez as his LB3 (behind Sonny Styles and Texas’s Anthony Hill) and marking him as a Round 2 value as well. He compared him favorably to Carson Schwesinger, who the Bucs reportedly loved but went early in the second to the Cleveland Browns at 33rd overall.
Zierlein wrote, “Rodriguez displays ballhawking instincts and outstanding hands but busted coverages were part of the package in 2025. His unbridled urgency and “make every play” mindset can inflate missed tackle totals, but the production should outweigh the occasional headaches. He projects as a long-term starting inside linebacker.”
There’s even been whispers of him sneaking into the backend of Day 1, which could benefit the Bucs if they decided to make a big down the board in the first round via trade-down.
On the Clock…
There you have it, Bucs Nation. Would you like to see Rodriguez in red and pewter? Would you like to see a trade in the first round to get him in this 2os or take their chances in the second round? Let us know your thoughts below!
