Dallas Cowboys Show Interest in Texas Tech's "Undersized" Linebacker

LUBBOCK, TX — The Dallas Cowboys attended Texas Tech’s Pro Day and had dinner with one of the top linebackers in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The draft is pretty loaded with Texas Tech defensive players, and one is being marked as a top 10 selection — defensive end David Bailey.

Other Red Raiders that could be drafted in the top three rounds include:

Lee Hunter - DL

Jacob Rodriguez - LB

Romello Height - DE

The Dallas Cowboys coaching staff was in attendance at Tech’s Pro Day and even took Rodriguez out to dinner. It would be a surprising pick, but Rodriguez could be the selection when the Cowboys are on the clock at 20th overall.

One thing teams have to do in the draft is stay true to their board. A team would be pretty foolish to take a player to try and mess with a division rival. Different coordinators run different styles of offense and defense, and teams could really mess a player up if they take one that doesn’t fit in their system. If your defense runs a zone-heavy scheme, taking a man-cover corner is not smart.

Being that the Cowboys had dinner with Rodriguez, it feels safe to say they like him as a prospect. There is a lot to like about Rodriguez’s play.

Over the last two seasons, Rodriguez has 225 total tackles, 6 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries and 5 interceptions. He won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded to the best defensive player in college football in 2025, along with the Butkus Award (best linebacker), the Lombardi Award (top lineman), and the Chuck Bednarik Award (college defensive player of the year).

Rodriguez also won the Pony Express Award, was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, a unanimous All-American, and was a two-time First-Team All-Big 12 selection.

According to Rodriguez’s draft prospect profile on NFL.com, he projects as a long-term starting inside linebacker. He ranked 8th in production score for linebackers at the 2026 NFL Combine and 4th in both his athleticism score and total score. Rodriguez tied for 7th in the 20-yard shuttle and ran a time of 4.57 in the 40-yard dash.

Two things that really sticks out about Rodriguez is his run defense and playmaking skills.

His size, however, is something that is worth questioning. At 6-foot-1 and 231 pounds, Rodriguez is a little undersized and could get washed by some NFL offensive linemen.

Want to know another Texas Tech linebacker that was considered undersized? Zach Thomas.

Thomas played in the NFL for 12 seasons and is in the Hall of Fame.

With the Cowboys desperate for a linebacker, Rodriguez makes a ton of sense. While being drafted at No. 20 might be rich for the Red Raider, it wouldn’t be the first time Dallas “reached” for a player. 

Dallas picked Travis Frederick at 31st overall, and many fans called that a reach. He would go on to be one of the best centers in the league while he played. Last year, guard Tyler Booker was drafted by Dallas at 12th overall, and he played great.

Last year, the Detroit Lions drafted linebacker Jack Campbell, who was considered a late first-round pick, at 18th. He is now one of the top linebackers in the league.

Of course, the Cowboys could find a trade partner and move down some to acquire Rodriguez and more draft picks but, if he is one of the top ranked players on the draft board, Dallas should take him.

The NFL Draft begins on April 23 for the first round. April 24 will see the second and third rounds, then April 25 will be Rounds 4 through 7.