Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT: Jacob Rodriguez Could Be Exactly What Indianapolis Colts Need

Starting point is 00:00:01 The Colts need a new leader in the middle of their defense, and we've got just the one for you today as our prospect spotlight series continues. Let's get to it. You are Locked on Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. All right, welcome to Locked on Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. I am your host, Jake Arthur, the Indianapolis Colts beat writer for Roundtable Sports. And today, after a little bit of a break, we have returned with our Prospect Spotlight series. The first couple weeks of free agency to calm down a little bit, and now Zach and I are ready to kind of hit it with these prospects once again, bringing you several of them here over the next four or five weeks until the draft starts next April on April 23rd. But today we're going to continue with what is still one of the most hilarious needs on the Colts defense.

Starting point is 00:01:06 And that is the Mike linebacker. So just like a week or two ago, it was anybody at linebacker if the Colts needed. They then signed Akeem Davis Gaither from the Cardinals. And then previously with the Cincinnati Bengals, he played with Louan Arummo for the first four years of his career. We're penciling him in as the new starting will linebacker. That's just kind of what his skill set when utilized best fits. So the Colts still need somebody to directly replace Zaire Franklin as that Michael. linebacker who calls the defense, the green dot, as we've been referring to it a lot lately,

Starting point is 00:01:41 the guy that literally is the communicator from the coaches to the rest of the players on the field. And, you know, this is a very rich draft with linebackers, but when you are looking specifically for what the Colts need now at the Mike linebacker spot, there's, I don't want to say a select few, but like the pool of the really, really good player shrinks a bit. If you're thrown in will linebackers. There's a million guys I could tell you that the Colts could use. But today we're going with Jacob Rodriguez from Texas Tech. He is about as good as it gets when it comes to what the Colts could get there. We're going to call it day two. We're going to specifically get into details in the second segment here. But he's about as good as it gets

Starting point is 00:02:27 for the Colts to replace Zaire Franklin in this draft and get an early impact doing it. So let's just go through some background here on Rodriguez for you. Very interesting background, actually. So in 2021, as a true freshman, he got to the University of Virginia as an offensive player. He played quarterback, running back, wider seeer, and tight end for them. He transferred after that season, after some sporadic random use, obviously as just a general offensive weapon, transferred to Texas Tech and played right away in 2022, became a linebacker full time, and kind of worked into the rotation. for the first couple years for himself before becoming a starter. But looking at these last two years since 2024,

Starting point is 00:03:14 as a developed player who was ready to hit the field and contribute heavily, he, again, has now been a starter and now team captain since 2024. And the heartbeat of a really good Texas Tech defense that has several prospects on it, we already talked about one of them in this series, Romello Hyde, the Edge Defender. So in that time over his career, Rodriguez has 317 tackles, including 25 and a half for lost, six sacks, 13 force fumbles, five fumbles recovered, six interceptions, 12 pass breakups, and two defensive touchdowns. So this guy is a stat sheet stuffer, affects the game in a multitude of ways, was about as accomplished as you could possibly get, I guess, from a team. perspective, but as well as individually. Texas Tech is, it's going to be hard pressed to think they'll ever, like, get to the national championship, but they were there in the mix near the end.

Starting point is 00:04:12 I believe they were a playoff team, if I'm not mistaken. And then Rodriguez individually achieved just about everything. The Broncoe Nogersky Award, Buckus Award, Lombardi Award, Chuck Benerick Award. He was a unanimous All-American last year, the Big 12 defensive player of the year and first team, all big 12 all last year in 2025. So very accomplished. player. Let's talk about him specifically as a prospect now. He doesn't have elite size. You know, six foot one, two 31. He doesn't have the best like length in the world either. His arms are 30 inches, 30 and seven, eight inches, nine and a quarter hands. I know a lot of people don't care about that, but a lot of teams do that factors into your length. And some teams,

Starting point is 00:04:57 you know, don't think that players can be very successful or will be pretty limited without a elite length. He's going to be 24 years old when the season begins in September. Now, on tape, like, there's nothing not to like. You do see, like, he's not the biggest, lengthiest player, but he moves around really well. He's a very fluid player, but still at the same time, I think a lot of people questioned how he would test at the combine. But he actually passed that with flying colors. Ran a 457 in the 40, had a 38.5 inch vertical with a 10-foot-1 broad jump and ran the three cone in 6.9 seconds. So concerns about this guy that everyone liked on tape athletically, he answered that,

Starting point is 00:05:44 which I think pretty much locked him into the top 50, top 60 picks in this draft, because there was talk about this guy even being available into the third round, which I no longer think is going to be the case. When you look at him on film, you just see, you see the instincts and demeanor. of a classic linebacker, which is really impressive to consider when you think back to just in 2021, he was an offensive player playing a bunch of different positions. He didn't even, he didn't even become a defensive player, let alone linebacker until 2022, but he plays it with the mentality that he's been playing it since Pop Warner. His confidence in which he attacks the

Starting point is 00:06:25 ball carrier and tracks the ball in the air, his instincts knowing where things are going to go. he attacks the run through the A gap, through the inside and out on the perimeter very, very well, sniffs out, screen passes very well. Basically, as strong as we know, Zaire Franklin was in those areas, like in the box, tracking the ball from, you know, just outside the tackles within all those splash plays that Zire Franklin made, it's a lot of the stuff that Litters Jacob Rodriguez's tape in a positive way. You see quite a bit of that.

Starting point is 00:06:59 in coverage. I think we've all been wanting the Colts to land a linebacker that would be competent in coverage. You definitely see that with Rodriguez. He's very fluid, both laterally and turning up field to go on like a wheel route, for example. Moves very well doing that. Smart player never seems out of place. It's like he always knows exactly what he's looking at. You could tell that the guy prepares and watches plenty of film throughout the week. like unrivaled ball skills when it comes to linebacker play. And again, that ever important green dot calling the defense, number one, the responsibility and trust from your coaches, but also the football IQ and wherewithal

Starting point is 00:07:42 and smarts to know exactly what you're seeing, what your coaches want you see, and then convey it to your teammates. That's very, very important. But let's talk about those ball skills again for a minute, because the Colts haven't had a linebacker with the ability to kind of change the game in that way since Shaq Leonard. Zyre Franklin did start to be a little better at it a couple years ago before kind of inexplicably falling off in that department in 2025. But when you have a guy that can force turnovers at the rate that Jacob Rodriguez does, it's so incredibly invaluable. It got Darius Leonard a 20 million per year contract extension with the Colts.

Starting point is 00:08:27 Because he had a lot of holes in his game, like just as a classic linebacker, but Leonard could do stuff that nobody else could. And that was take the ball away at an incomparable rate. And you kind of see that with Jacob Rodriguez as well. But I would say that Rodriguez has a lot of linebacker strengths that perhaps Leonard didn't. I think he gets off blocks a little bit better. You know, disengages with those. And I think he, I think he recognizes things run versus pass a good bit better.

Starting point is 00:09:00 I just think he has, like Leonard had great instincts, but I think Rodriguez has better football IQ, if that makes sense at all. We can talk about that over, again, over the next four or five weeks until the draft comes. But here in a moment, we're going to talk about specifically with the Colts. When could they get him? What's the fit with the Colts? and, you know, how does this all make sense? We'll put one and two together here in just a moment.

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Starting point is 00:12:34 and how he is a perfect fit to fill the Colts vacancy at Mike Linebacker left behind when the Colts traded Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers. So just on the face of it, the Colts need linebackers in general, whether they're Will Linebacker or Mike Linebacker. They did recently sign Akeem Davis Gator, of the Cardinals and previously before that, the Bengals, the Lou Anarumo connection as well. But that's a one-year deal. And I think Davis Gather is a decent player, a good player, like he should start for the Colts at Will this year. But the Mike linebacker spot is really, really important,

Starting point is 00:13:11 and they're going to need it. They don't really have anybody else there. Outside of Davis Gathe, they've got Austin Nijke, Jalen Carlis, John Bullock, Joseph Vaughn, and Devin Barrasup as their linebackers. and Bullock, Vaughn, and Barrosuke are new guys just this offseason who are futures deals players. So Vaughn was with the Colts last training camp, but obviously did not make it through to the regular season. So that kind of tells you what you need to know. Jaylon Carlyse as well, someone who has not really had an impact in two years and has spent more time on the sidelines than actually on the field making plays. I know there's a lot of optimism for guys that Carlize. I like the talent as well, but you kind of have to proceed.

Starting point is 00:13:52 you need to move forward as if they're not there and that anything they can give you is kind of a bonus charing on top. So again, Rodriguez with the Colts, when could they get him? Their first pick is up at 47 and I think that's probably about when they would get him unless they even traded back if he was available because I do think there's a good concentration of linebackers available in this draft that the Colts probably aren't going to go trade up for one though they probably will have their choice of at least a few guys that they like, which may cause them to trade down a little bit from 47. But regardless, if they want a guy like him, I don't think they're going to be able to wait until the third round and pick 78. It's probably going to need to be there in the second round.

Starting point is 00:14:37 Again, like I mentioned with Rodriguez, incredible film, all the accomplishments in the world individually and as a team, as far as it goes for Texas Tech, and any accomplishments they've had in recent years. This was certainly one of the best years they've had with Rodriguez, finishing fifth in the Heisman. You don't really see that from linebackers very often, but it kind of gives you an idea of the type of player you're working with here. So again, I mentioned specific types of players for the Colts fitting at Mike flying back on who they might need. It's that specific green dots. So I kind of lump Rodriguez in with like Jake Golda, Josiah Trotter, Deontay Lawson. Those kind of guys,

Starting point is 00:15:20 guys you can get from like round two to four for the most part probably round two, three. But you need those type of guys specifically. If you want to get a will linebacker later on, that's great. But if you need the instant impact of a starting Mike linebacker, that's kind of what you're looking at. So I think Rodriguez would fit in well with the Colts. Again, they have the vacancy.

Starting point is 00:15:41 So he could probably step right in right away and play. I think, again, his instincts and just feel for the game. I think he'll quickly get on the field. I would like to maybe see him get a little more powerful, even though he is fluid enough of a mover to get in and out of creases and kind of get through the traffic without issue. But if he could add maybe some bulk, a little bit of power,

Starting point is 00:16:10 I think that would certainly help with acclimating to the NFL part of the game. Of course, playing in the Big 12, you know, it doesn't take a lot to be the toughest. guy on the field, at least historically. So, yeah, I think if he just kind of added some bulk a little bit, some strength, he would fit in just fine. But, you know, athletically, just fine. He's fast.

Starting point is 00:16:33 He's agile, as we saw. And he's explosive as well, very confident in the way he clicks and closes on the ball. So I think it's a no-brainer. If he's available to the Colts there inside the top 50, he is one of a few players, think would be like hard rubber stamp Colts players that they should go and go after. So that is it for today's episode of this Prospect Spotlight series. We're going to have more for those for you guys throughout the week.

Starting point is 00:17:05 Thanks again for tuning in today to this bonus episode of Locked on Colts. We'll be back with you a little bit later. Zach and I are going to have a mock draft for you. Make sure you subscribe to our show so that you get all of the latest episodes. If you don't already follow Lockdown Colts or at Lockdown Colts at Jake Arthur NFL and at Zach Hicks 2 on social media. If you never miss an episode, then remember the everyday or club is built just for you. Get Lockdown Colts audio ad free plus the members only Discord access and more. Head to Lockdowncultz.supercast.com to join the club or follow the link in our show notes right now.

Starting point is 00:17:40 And with that, thank you guys again for watching and listening and you have a great day. Thank you.

Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT: Jacob Rodriguez Could Be Exactly What Indianapolis Colts Need

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