We have had a rough few years on the defensive side of the ball… and I mean ROUGH. The kind of rough that keeps you up at night wondering how a franchise with as much history and resources as America’s Team cannot seem to put a defense on the field that does not look like complete dog shit.
In 2024, the Cowboys were second worst in the league in terms of points per game given up at 27.5. And in 2025, they were somehow even worse, sitting at 30.1 pts/g allowed (worst in the league, by the way). After two abysmal seasons and just as many defensive coordinator firings, it seems like there is no hope in sight.
Enter one Jacob Rodriguez. J-Rod isn’t just any old prospect. This kid is the real deal. In a draft class dripping with elite defensive talent, there is none as productive as the linebacker from Texas Tech.
His film is absolutely filthy. The instincts are elite. The motor is relentless. Quite simply put, he is the type of player that keeps offensive coordinators up at night. This is the kind of player that changes a franchise’s defensive future immediately.
Our defense has been a crap shoot for too long. We’ve cycled through coordinators, paid high-performing secondary players lots of money who then managed to find out new and creative ways of getting burnt each and every week. We traded our only good defensive player away, and the list goes on and on.
J-Rod is not a band-aid… He is the solution.
The moment he steps on the field with that star on his helmet, opposing offenses will have trouble scheming against him as he is elite in all facets of the game, whether that be blitzing, stopping the run, or dropping back in coverage. I am confident he is the best LB in the class at each of those individually. YET you get him with ONE pick.
Here are some stats and notables from Jacob Rodriguez last season at TTU.
- 2025 Bronko Nagurksi Award Winner (nation’s best defensive player voted by journalists)
- 2025 Chuck Bednarik Award Winner (nation’s best Defensive player voted by Coaches)
- 2025 Consenus First team All American
- 2025 Dick Butkus Award Winner (nation’s best linebacker)
- 2025 Big 12 DPOY
- Led the entire Country in Forced Fumbles at 7
- Tied 7th in the Country for Interceptions at 5
- his combined 12 Turnovers would have been tied with or more than 17 Power Four teams had last year
- One sick ass mustache
These are the type of accolades people dream about achieving, and he did them all in one season. This is the type of player who should be taken off the board in the first round, yet in some of the latest mocks I have seen him going as low as middle to late day 2. Sometimes we need to take a step back and value production over potential.
Don’t take my word for it? Ok take the word of Legendary football analyst Brian Baldinger and the word of the best GM in all of College Football James Blanchard.
Oh, and Jerry…. he runs TDs in too 😉