The Texas Tech Linebacker Who Could Fix Detroit’s Biggest Weakness
The 2026 NFL Draft is breathing down our necks, and you know what? It feels different this time. After years of hoping Brad Holmes could pull rabbits out of hats, we’re sitting at pick 17 with actual leverage. Real options. The kind of draft position that makes you think maybe, just maybe, we can keep this thing rolling.
But here’s the thing about the Lions under Holmes. Day 2 might matter just as much as Day 1. With picks at 17 and 50, Detroit has the flexibility to go anywhere, including the classic Holmes move of trading up to get their guy.
Which brings us to Jacob Rodriguez. The Texas Tech linebacker who spent 2025 collecting awards like they were going out of style. And yes, before you roll your eyes, we do need linebacker help. I know what you’re thinking: didn’t we just watch Jack Campbell have an All-Pro season? Didn’t this defense just drag us deeper into the playoffs than we’ve been since the Carter administration?
Why Detroit Actually Needs Another Linebacker
Look, I get it. Talking about linebacker needs feels weird when Campbell just put together 1,096 defensive snaps of elite football. But here’s the reality check: Alex Anzalone is gone.
The veteran signed with Tampa Bay for two years and $17 million, and honestly? Good for him. Anzalone got pushed out of his MIKE role when Campbell took over, but he thrived at WILL linebacker from 2023 onward. Now Detroit has a hole.
The Lions ran three-linebacker sets at a rate that would make other NFL teams think we’d lost our minds. Campbell, Anzalone, and Derrick Barnes were three of the top four defenders by snap count last season. That’s not some cute experiment. That’s the foundation of how this defense operates.
With Anzalone gone, Malcolm Rodriguez is the frontrunner for that WILL spot. Let me be clear about something: that should terrify you. Rodriguez started there as a rookie in 2022, but he’s been a backup ever since for good reason. He tore his ACL in 2024, struggled through six games in 2025, and posted a PFF grade of 28.4 that makes your eyes water.
His lowest single-game grade was 26.0 in his lone official start during Week 18. I’ve seen some ugly Lions football over the years, but that’s rough even by our standards.
Enter Jacob Rodriguez, the Award Collector
Rodriguez didn’t start his college career as a linebacker. Hell, he didn’t even start it as a regular football player. The guy began at Virginia as a quarterback prospect before bouncing around as a multi-purpose athlete. In 2022, he transferred to Texas Tech and switched to linebacker.
It took him a minute to figure it out, but once he did? The man went nuclear.
His 2025 trophy cabinet reads like a fever dream. Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award for best defensive player. Butkus Award for top linebacker. Rotary Lombardi Award. Unanimous All-American. Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Fifth place in Heisman voting.
Not bad for a quarterback recruit, right?
What Makes Rodriguez Special
Rodriguez projects as a WILL linebacker at the NFL level, which lines up perfectly with Detroit’s need. At 6-foot-1 and 231 pounds, he’s smaller than your typical linebacker, but that works for the WILL position. The weakside linebacker needs range and athleticism more than pure size.
And athletic? Rodriguez scored a 9.61 RAS out of 10.00, ranking 137th out of 3,460 linebackers tested from 1987 to 2026. That’s elite company.
But here’s what really separates Rodriguez from the pack: his football brain. That quarterback background gives him a unique ability to diagnose plays before they develop. He reads and reacts like a veteran, something that can’t be taught. Remember Campbell’s rookie season? All the athleticism in the world, but he kept getting washed out on run plays because he was a step slow processing. Rodriguez already has that mental side figured out.
The guy has also mastered the Peanut Punch technique that Charles Tillman made famous and our defense loves. Rodriguez forced 13 fumbles in college using that closed-fist punch to knock balls loose. That’s not an accident. That’s a skill.
And here’s a fun detail: Texas Tech’s coach Joey McGuire visited our minicamp before the 2025 season to learn how Kelvin Sheppard runs the drill at the NFL level. When McGuire brought it back to Tech, Rodriguez thrived with it. The guy’s already learning our system.
The Concerns Are Real Though
Rodriguez isn’t perfect, and we’d be foolish to pretend otherwise. His wingspan measures 74.63 inches, which ranks among the smallest for top linebacker prospects. That lack of reach could be a problem against NFL linemen, especially when they’re pulling or chipping.
He can get washed out by bigger blockers, and his 4.57-second speed might not be enough to cover guys like Jahmyr Gibbs in space. Rodriguez also has a tendency to miss tackles, partly because of his aggressive pursuit angles and partly because he simply doesn’t have the length to reach guys.
The special teams experience is limited too, which matters for smaller linebackers trying to earn roster spots. But his athleticism and football IQ suggest he could develop into a contributor there.
The Draft Value Question
Here’s where it gets interesting. Rodriguez could very well be the second linebacker taken after Sonny Styles, who’ll be long gone by pick 17. The problem? Most analysts have Rodriguez projected in the 40-50 pick range, right around where our second-round selection sits.
Pick 17 feels too rich for Rodriguez, even for a Holmes front office that values linebackers more than most. But by pick 50? If he’s sitting there, you take him and don’t look back.
The wild card is how the other linebackers fall. Between Rodriguez, Georgia’s CJ Allen, Cincinnati’s Jake Golday, Texas’ Anthony Hill Jr., and Pittsburgh’s Kyle Louis, there’s no consensus second linebacker in this class. That uncertainty could work in our favor.
If Rodriguez starts sliding due to size concerns, he could be the steal of the draft at 50. If teams fall in love with his intangibles, we might have to move up into the 30s to get him. And you know what? For a potential Day 1 starter at a position of need, that might be worth it.
Why This Makes Sense for Detroit
Rodriguez checks every box on the Lions‘ wishlist. Grit? The guy was a walk-on at Texas Tech who slept on a folded mattress topper while chasing his dream. Motor? Watch any snap of his tape. Leadership? He became the quarterback of that Texas Tech defense.
This is exactly the kind of player Holmes has built this roster around. Smart, tough, and hungry. Rodriguez may not have the length of an ideal linebacker, but he has the heart of a Lion.
And let’s be honest here. After decades of watching this franchise whiff on linebacker after linebacker, the idea of getting a proven college star who already understands how to play the position at an elite level? That’s not something you pass up.
Rodriguez could walk in and start at WILL from day one. In a defense that relies heavily on three-linebacker sets, that’s not a luxury. That’s a necessity.
We’ve been hurt before by reaching for need, sure. But we’ve also been hurt by ignoring obvious holes in the roster. With Rodriguez, we might have found the sweet spot: a player who fills a need and brings genuine talent to Ford Field.
Sound off in the comments with your thoughts on Rodriguez and whether the Lions should target him in Round 2. Follow ThatDetroitGrit.com for more draft coverage as we get closer to the big day, and share this with
