The Dallas Cowboys are kicking around the idea of using their No. 20 pick on Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, a turnover hungry defender whose forced fumbles and interceptions could patch one of the clearest holes on their defense. Dallas finished last season near the bottom of the league in takeaways, and Rodriguez's reputation as a ball magnet has made him a regular in Cowboys draft chatter. With the 2026 NFL Draft less than two weeks away, the question of whether Dallas stays in state for a linebacker has only gotten louder.
As reported by The Dallas Morning News, Cowboys insider Joseph Hoyt laid out why Rodriguez could make sense at No. 20 after Dallas showed up for his pro day. Hoyt pointed to the club's defensive priorities and noted that the team has zeroed in on prospects who can create turnovers, a glaring problem a season ago. The piece also reports that coaches and evaluators have been weighing Rodriguez as a legitimate first round option for Dallas.
Rodriguez's turnover résumé
According to Texas Tech, Rodriguez wrapped up the 2025 season with eye catching production, topping a hundred tackles, forcing multiple fumbles and hauling in several interceptions, while racking up major defensive awards and unanimous All America recognition. PFF graded him among the nation's top linebackers and highlighted that his combine testing, including a 4.57 40 yard dash and strong agility numbers, quieted lingering questions about his athletic ceiling. In other words, the box score, the analytics and the film are all telling the same story.
How he would plug into Dallas
The Cowboys forced just 12 opponent turnovers in 2025, one of the lowest totals in the league, and that shortfall has cranked up the pressure to add a true ball hunter. StatMuse's season data confirms Dallas' 12 takeaways last year, underscoring why a turnover specialist is so appealing to the front office. Multiple outlets have reported that Dallas met with Rodriguez during pre draft visits and dinners, a sign the team is doing its homework on whether his instincts will carry over on Sundays. That kind of face to face attention is often a reliable hint that a club is seriously weighing a prospect in its early board range.
Draft timeline and what to watch
The 2026 NFL Draft runs April 23 to 25 in Pittsburgh, and the official order currently shows Dallas holding pick No. 20 in Round 1, a slot where Rodriguez has started to appear in mock boards as a realistic option. The league's draft page on NFL.com lists the event details and the up to date first round order, so keep an eye on whether the Cowboys stand pat at 20 or decide to shuffle the board. If Dallas leans hard into immediate takeaway upside, Rodriguez checks a lot of boxes; how they stack that profile against other needs will determine whether the marriage actually happens.
Ultimately, Rodriguez shapes up as the kind of impact defender who either slips into the late first round and makes an instant difference or becomes the name teams start trading around to go grab. For Cowboys fans, the draft will soon reveal whether the team is ready to bet on a proven turnover generator to flip the script on a defense that badly needs more game changing plays.
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