Why Jacob Rodriguez – for all the right reasons – will be early-round steal of 2026 NFL Draft
David Bailey may be the first Texas Tech prospect selected off the board during the 2026 NFL Draft, but it'll be Jacob Rodriguez who is the steal.
Why Jacob Rodriguez – for all the right reasons – will be early-round steal of 2026 NFL Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez will accomplish the life-long goal of being selected at the 2026 NFL Draft this weekend.
Rodriguez – the most-decorated defensive player in college football last season and a potential first-round sleeper – is making the moment about everyone else. Rodriguez will not make the trip to Pittsburgh. He has other plans.
"I'm going to watch with family," Rodriguez told The Sporting News. "I think Emma and I will be around my family and it will be fun. This accomplishment for me is great, but it's more so for me along with my entire family who have pushed me to this moment and my friends have held me accountable and to all the people who have played a part in this process for me.
I want them to be celebrated just as much as it is an achievement for myself. " Rodriguez's wife Emma – a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot for the United States Army – will also come into focus as part of the draft coverage. Jacob and Emma kept a long-distance relationship through college.
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