Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley reveals his biggest surprise from the 2026 NFL Draft class
Of the 13 rookies the Miami Dolphins drafted, which one surprised head coach Jeff Hafley to see on the board the most?
The Miami Dolphins will have no shortage of contenders for ‘most productive rookie’ when their 2026 season comes to a close.
13 rookies. It stands as the second-largest draft class in team history. And with the state of Miami’s salary cap and roster, many of those guys are going to play. A lot. That’s no surprise and it’s already expected. Head coach Jeff Hafley has leaned into it every time he’s been asked. But his latest discussion around his Miami Dolphins charged him with answering a different question. Of those 13 rookies from the 2026 NFL Draft, which was was Hafley and company most surprised to see on the board when they were picked? Hafley answered that question during a segment with his former player in San Francisco, cornerback Richard Sherman, on ‘The Richard Sherman Podcast’.
Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley reveals his biggest surprise from the 2026 NFL Draft class
“One guy I didn’t think would be there when we took them was probably (linebacker Jacob) Rodriguez. I would have thought…he would have been picked sooner. Just his college tape, I think the upside, I think the potential, I think the leadership capability, the playmaking ability, the production. I thought he would have been gone by that pick. So when he was still there, that one we were all pretty excited about that pick.”
– Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley
Fire me up, coach. The kind of conviction the Miami Dolphins showed in Rodriguez with the 43rd overall selection despite their needs elsewhere on the roster is hard to ignore. Assistant general manager described the room as ‘buzzing’ in the immediate aftermath of the pick. Rodriguez, of course, boasts a strong lineage with Miami Dolphins linebackers. He shares a school with current star Jordyn Brooks. And Dolphins Hall of Famer Zach Thomas has been described by Rodriguez as a mentor.
Whether or not Rodriguez claims a starting job from the jump will be a storyline for training camp. Miami has no shortage of competition. Veterans Tyrel Dodson and Willie Gay Jr. may have something to say about it. The Dolphins also drafted Kyle Louis at the position in the fourth round of this year’s draft.
It’s anyone’s ball game. But Hafley’s (and the team’s) enthusiasm for the pick, especially as a premium one with other needs sitting on the board, will make it hard to temper expectations.
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