Could History Repeat Itself at Linebacker?

Could History Repeat Itself at Linebacker?

It seems like yesterday to me, but it was about this time 30 years ago that the Miami Dolphins had just finished their first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The play shown as a highlight was linebacker Jack Del Rio making a huge tackle at the 1-yard line on 4th down to keep the Bucs out of the end zone. A couple of days later, I got a call from a friend after I had just gotten out of the pool to say VanHoover, the Dolphins just cut Jack Del Rio. I said no, they didn’t. He said yes, they did. I said Stop jerking me around.

He said, “VanHoover, turn on ESPN2 and look at the bottom line”; the internet was in its infancy, and that’s how you learned sports news back then.

So, I did, and sure enough the Dolphins cut Jack Del Rio, and I was stunned, and I didn’t see it coming, and I didn’t know why. 

It turns out that coach Jimmy Johnson saw a lot of potential in a rookie linebacker named Zach Thomas. The Dolphins were in rebuilding mode, and he didn’t want Del Rio taking snaps away from a rookie and his growth as a player. Well, Johnson was 100% correct, as Del Rio was at the end of his career, and Thomas went on to become a Hall of Fame linebacker. He went sideline to sideline making tackles, sacks, interceptions, and forced fumbles. 

Fast forward to the April 2026 NFL Draft. The Dolphins, heading into the offseason, have linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dotson under contract for one more year, and in the 2nd round of the draft, they select linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.

When the Dolphins made the pick, I thought, well, the team doesn’t need a linebacker, but with two guys in Brooks and Dotson under contract 1 more year, why not look down the road? Then I listened more to the draft coverage, and many people were surprised that Rodriguez was even available in the middle of the 2nd round, with some even saying that he was the best linebacker in college football.  

I also read more about him after they drafted him, and he is good sideline to sideline, makes tackles, forces fumbles, etc. He is also a good student of the game and watches film as well as calls out defensive signals. On top of that, he comes from a school at Texas Tech with a strong history of linebackers, including Thomas and Brooks. He can also be the green-dot player who calls out the defense.