NFL Rookie Report: Dolphins bet big on Jacob Rodriguez, Day 3 steals turn heads

Well, that's a wrap on the preseason, and unfortunately for many players, their NFL careers as well, as we also saw cutdown day take place on Sunday.

However, plenty of rookies made a strong impression this preseason, including several players who were part of our All-Underrated team heading into the season.

In this week's Rookie Report, we look at five members of that team who stood out this preseason. But first, we start with the man in the middle for the Miami Dolphins.

Dolphins hand the keys to Jacob Rodriguez

The Miami Dolphins appear to have found their middle linebacker of the future in second-round pick Jacob Rodriguez, as the team released Tyrel Dodson, the veteran he was competing with for the starting job. While the plan was always for Rodriguez to eventually take over the position, it was somewhat surprising that Miami was willing to move on from Dodson, who started for the Dolphins last season.

What makes the decision even more interesting is that Rodriguez did not exactly dominate during the preseason. He saw limited reps in Miami's three games and recorded just three tackles, while he also earned a D from NFL.com for his performance against the New York Giants, partly because he was slower than ideal diagnosing plays.

So why was Miami willing to hand the job to Rodriguez? The biggest reason is that he is a much more fluid athlete who holds up better in coverage than Dodson. Last season at Texas Tech, the Butkus Award winner led all college linebackers with four interceptions while earning a 92.3 PFF coverage grade. Rodriguez's athleticism allows him to cover more ground, but what really stands out is his instincts, especially when playing zone coverage.

Rodriguez is also an elite run defender, even though he is still adjusting to the speed of the NFL game. Last season for the Red Raiders, he consistently showed the instincts to get himself into the right position to make plays, finishing with 115 tackles. He was a major reason Texas Tech led the nation in rush defense, allowing just 68 rushing yards per game. Rodriguez also showed an ability to create turnovers, forcing seven fumbles during the season.

The Dolphins are likely going to struggle this season, as they have one of the least talented rosters in the NFL and could have a difficult time winning five games. Because of that, Miami's coaching staff should be looking at this season as an opportunity to evaluate how its young players develop rather than simply focusing on the team's win-loss record. Rodriguez will be one of the most important players to watch in that regard. If he can show the same instincts, coverage ability and playmaking skills that made him one of the best linebackers in college football, the Dolphins may have found their long-term answer at middle linebacker.

Checking in on the All-Underrated Team

One of my favorite articles to write leading up to the NFL Draft is picking my All-Underrated teams, and now that we have opening-day rosters set, it is time to look at what these players have done with their new NFL teams.

Overall, 86 percent of the players we named to this team made an NFL roster, with several Day 3 picks already standing out. Here are the five players named to the team who have clearly stood out so far. As a reminder, to make this team, a player had to have a Day 3 grade or later at the time the team was selected.

1. Kamari Ramsey, Houston Texans

Ramsey had a great start to his career, recording an interception and a pass breakup while not allowing a single reception on his 14 coverage snaps. That performance earned him the honor of being named Pro Football Focus' top rookie of Week 1, and the team has since allowed him to rest the past two preseason games. To say the least, he has more than lived up to the expectations I had for him when I graded him as a third-round pick despite him falling to the fifth round.

2. Emmett Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs

Another fifth-round pick who has already shown he was drafted way too late is former Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson, who the Kansas City Chiefs selected with the 161st overall pick. This preseason, he has already shown he is a complete running back, rushing for 123 yards on just 26 carries while also hauling in six passes with zero drops. This is the same type of impact he made with the Huskers, as he led the team in both rushing yards and receptions last season.

3. Ethan Burke, Baltimore Ravens

One of the players I was much higher on than most was Texas defensive end Ethan Burke, who was not invited to the NFL Combine and was rated as The Athletic's 43rd-ranked defensive end. However, this preseason showed why I was so high on him, as over the final two preseason games he accounted for two forced fumbles, four tackles, two passes defensed and a sack. It looks like the Baltimore Ravens may have found their next undrafted free-agent gem.

4. Sam Roush, Chicago Bears

The second-highest player drafted from my All-Underrated teams was tight end Sam Roush, who the Chicago Bears selected with the 69th pick despite having a consensus draft grade of a fourth-round pick, making him eligible for this team at the time I wrote the article. Roush seemed to impress the most as a run blocker, with Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor stating, "Sam made his presence felt in the run game, which is something we wanted to see." He also hauled in five receptions this preseason, which is an area where he excelled at Stanford, finishing sixth among FBS tight ends with 545 receiving yards and tying for the ACC conference lead with 49 receptions.

5. Dametrious Crownover, New England Patriots

New England Patriots sixth-round pick Dametrious Crownover was another player from the All-Underrated team who stood out this preseason. Crownover particularly impressed with his run blocking, showing the physicality that made him an intriguing prospect coming out of college. He also finished the preseason on a strong note, earning the highest grade among Patriots offensive linemen according to PFF. 

NFL rookie news and notes

Taylor Green flashes exciting potential

While the Cleveland Browns may have the worst quarterback room in the NFL, one player who flashed exciting potential against the New England Patriots is rookie sixth-round pick Taylen Green. While he completed 72 percent of his passes against the Patriots, the biggest thing working in his favor is his elite speed. In the third quarter, he broke off a 30-yard run, and that was also a major part of his game in college, as he rushed for 777 yards last season at Arkansas. While Green has made it very clear that he wants to stick at quarterback, don’t be shocked if the Browns find a way to use him at wide receiver at some point this season.

Steelers move on from NFL Draft bust

The biggest trade of the week came when the Pittsburgh Steelers traded offensive tackle Broderick Jones, the 14th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, to the Dallas Cowboys along with a fourth-round pick in exchange for third- and sixth-round picks. To say the least, Jones never lived up to his raw potential coming out of Georgia, and his 2025 PFF grade of 57.7 ranked 70th among 89 qualified offensive tackles. His 59.0 pass-blocking grade ranked 68th, while his 50.6 run-blocking grade ranked 80th. This, combined with the fact that the Steelers drafted Max Iheanachor in the first round this season, made it easy for the Steelers to move on from Jones. 

Kaden Wetjen shows why Steelers drafted him

While Pittsburgh has to grade the Broderick Jones pick as a bad move, the Steelers likely view the selection of this year's fourth-round pick Kaden Wetjen in a much more positive light. Wetjen has already displayed his big-play potential during the preseason, starting with an impressive performance against Green Bay in his debut with the team, when he caught two passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. Then, this past week, he scored his first NFL touchdown on special teams against the Buffalo Bills. That came after he became the only player in Big Ten history to record three punt return touchdowns and one kickoff return touchdown in the same season last year at Iowa. Look for him to make a big impact on special teams this season and get some opportunities as a slot wide receiver as well.

Zavion Thomas has a debut to remember

It is pretty hard to have a bigger impact on your first play in the NFL than what Chicago Bears third-round pick Zavion Thomas did in his debut. On the play, he displayed his 4.28 40-yard dash speed by catching a go route and taking it 97 yards for a touchdown. This led Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent to say, "I think that was Zavion Thomas' very first play in the NFL, so greatest start in NFL history." In addition to his impressive first play, the Bears rookie, who missed the first two games of the season due to injury, also returned one punt 39 yards. About the only downfall for the 89th overall pick was that he fumbled a jet sweep on the Bears' second drive. Still, his dynamic speed and playmaking ability should excite Bears fans this season. 

Longshot Jalon Daniels makes Buccaneers roster

It looks like Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels will make the Buccaneers despite being a longshot at the start of training camp and going undrafted. The former Jayhawk impressed Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles with his ability to create plays and play with poise. Overall in the preseason, Daniels completed 61 percent of his passes for 239 yards and scored a total of two touchdowns. 

Denver's 2026 draft class takes an early hit

One team that can't be happy with its 2026 NFL Draft is the Denver Broncos. On Sunday, they cut three of their seven draft picks from this season, including fifth-round pick Justin Joly and seventh-round picks linebacker Red Murdock and safety Miles Scott. While I named Joly the most overrated tight end in the class leading up to the NFL Draft, even I was surprised by this move, as you don't often see a player selected as high as Joly, who was the 12th pick of the fifth round, get cut before playing a regular-season game.

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