The Buffalo Bills still have many unanswered questions at several positions. Now is the time to answer some of those questions, with many new coaches joining the team.
Should they pursue one player early in the draft? If so, they will have had to do their research and realize that the linebacker they choose should fit Jim Leonhard's 3-4 scheme. He has to be intelligent, with a knack for reading offenses, just as a successful quarterback reads defenses.
One player who would fit perfectly is the reliable redshirt senior, Jacob Rodriguez, out of Texas Tech.
Jacob Rodriguez NFL Draft Scouting Report
Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 233 lbs.
Expected 40-Yard Dash Time: 4.70
Recruiting: 4-star recruit, No. 206 player nationally, No. 3 ranked as a quarterback
College Production: 56 career games, 317 career tackles, 6 sacks, 6 interceptions, 12 passes defended, 13 forced fumbles
Positives:
• Can pursue sideline to sideline and uses perimeter tackling to bring ball carriers down.
• Knows exactly where the ball carrier could go and then shoots the gap to bring him down for TFLs.
• Isn't afraid to get dirty with his hands while still finding a way to keep his shoulders leveled when tackling.
• Is a blitzing machine who times sacks perfectly, and pressured the quarterbacks 22 times this past year.
• Exceptional at punching the ball out of opponents' hands, forcing six fumbles over two incredible seasons.
• Runs with bad intentions through contact and isn't afraid to lay the boom on opposing players, and is an old-school thumper linebacker.
• Is a natural leader, having been a two-year captain, while bringing energy and passion to his defense.
All of these traits Rodriguez developed at Texas Tech were the result of hard work and a consistent commitment to improving his game, making him ready for the NFL. He is a master in between the tackles, allowing him to shoot the gap and stop the run.
Rodriguez is very smart, as he brings with him a naturally high football IQ to read offenses and navigate who he needs to stop dead in his tracks. Any team running a 3-4 scheme would love to have a hybrid linebacker like him, who is both a throwback hard hitter and is very instinctive in different blitz packages.
Negatives:
• Only weighs 233 lbs. while playing the Mike linebacker role, which usually involves more weight.
• Is inconsistent with his tackling technique, wanting to go for the big hit more instead of wrapping up and tackling low.
• Is still working on developing his cover skills, especially when facing slot receivers in man coverage.
• Ran a modest forty time of 4.70, which means he may have a hard time when covering today's athletic and versatile tight ends.
• Tends to overpursue the ball, resulting in him playing too gritty downhill.
With all the positive developments in working on his strengths, he still has to work on the negatives of his game to be even more NFL-ready. While 233 pounds may be small for a Mike linebacker in a 3-4 defense, Rodriguez will have to improve on his poor tackling techniques by not trying to live and die by the big physical hit.
He should also improve on his game speed because if not, he will get burned in coverage by bigger, athletic tight ends.
Jacob Rodriguez NFL Player Comparison: 49ers' LB Fred Warner
Rodriguez's NFL pro comparisons are very similar to high-motor linebacker Fred Warner. He started his draft processes as Rodriguez is now.
Warner is an athletic linebacker who can read where offensive plays are going and then drive back to the backfield to bring ball carriers down. He also had the same negatives of being too small and wanted to go for the crushing hit instead of properly tackling the ball carrier low.
Luckily, he worked on his flaws during college, which allowed him to better adjust to the pro game. If Rodriguez continues to follow in Warner's footsteps and works hard, don't be surprised if you don't see him flourishing in the NFL.
Jacob Rodriguez Fit With Buffalo Bills
Rodriguez would not be a bad selection if the Bills were to select him on day 2 of the NFL draft. He does fill a need at mike linebacker since the Bills will be running a 3-4 attacking defense under Jim Leonhard.
Everything he did at Texas Tech was through working on his game and using his natural talent to get him to where he is today. While he may not be the perfect prospect, as nobody in the draft really is, he is ready to play in the NFL right now, and the Bills do not want to whiff on this possible selection.
Jacob Rodriguez NFL Draft Grade: Early Round 2
If the Bills go in a different direction in round one, which most would think is wide receiver, then they have no reason not to draft a linebacker of Rodriguez's caliber. He was a two-time team captain at Texas Tech, which means he showed he could lead a defense at the "amateur", semi-pro level.
He's also considered the quarterback of the back four of a front seven, where he knows how to read opposing offenses to eventually shoot the gap and wrap up a ball carrier in the backfield. He will have to be better at pursuing tackles by wrapping up, rather than always relying on the punishing hit.
With his leadership skills, versatility, and the fact that he was already a captain in college, he could entice the Bills to take a shot on him with their second- or third-round draft pick.