Draft LB Focus: Miami shouldn’t pass up on value picks at this position
Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson got to similar spots career wise despite taking two completely different paths.
Brooks is a former first-round pick, who had to endure the pressure of expectations from Day 1 while Dodson was an undrafted player who fought and clawed for everything he’s ever achieved in the NFL.
Collectively, they represent the best linebacker duo the Dolphins franchise has had since Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett, and will seemingly begin Year 3 together this season unless a team makes a trade offer for Brooks that Miami can’t refuse.
Their NFL journeys personify what can be tapped into when properly evaluating the inside linebacker spot, which happens to be one of the deeper positions in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Despite how productive the duo has been, South Florida’s NFL franchise needs to think about the future at this position, which means adding an instinctive and athletic inside linebacker in the later rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Top 5 Prospects
Ohio State’s Sonny Styles: Styles has phenomenal size (6-foot-5, 243 pounds) and plays with elite instincts, quickly diagnosing plays. He has All-Pro potential in the right scheme.
Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez: While there are clear athletic limitations, nobody in this draft has his kind of instincts, which allows him to play at, and behind the line of scrimmage.
Texas’ Anthony Hill Jr.: He’s an impressive athlete with good size (6-3, 238 pounds) and sideline-to-sideline range. It doesn’t hurt that he has produced 17 career sacks in 40 games.
Georgia’s C.J. Allen: He plays with a fluidity when changing directions and has a high football intellect, which allows him to diagnose plays quickly.
Missouri’s Josiah Trotter: Trotter makes quick reads, and with some improvements in coverage he can develop into a solid NFL starter.
Best of the Rest: Cincinnati’s Jake Golday is able to cover ground in a hurry, and packs a punch on arrival. LSU’s Harold Perkins Jr. is a high-motor player who brings a ton of energy to the field, but his size (6-1, 222 pounds) and durability concerns will push him into the third day of the draft. Alabama’s Deontae Lawson has physical skills that hints he can be successful in a zone-based scheme, but he has some medical issues that need examining. Pittsburgh’s Kyle Louis’ instincts and ball skills can create splash plays, but his limited size (6-1, 220 pounds) ensures he will be a third-day selection. Texas A&M Taureen York is an outlier from a measurable standpoint. He might be 5-10, 226 pounds, but he plays bigger than his frame in the SEC.
The last time four off-ball linebackers went in the first round of the NFL Draft was 2020, with Isaiah Simmons, Kenneth Murray, Brooks and Patrick Queen selected. The 2026 class should come close to that, depending on how teams view Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese. There might be half a dozen immediate starters in this draft class.
Class Grade: A-minus
Teams in need: Jets, Giants, Browns, Commanders, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Vikings, Panthers, Steelers, Bills, Texans, Broncos, Falcons and Jaguars
Dolphins focus: Brooks, Dodson and Willie Gay Jr. make up a solid trio of inside linebackers. They each bring versatility and flexibility to the middle of Miami’s defense. However, all three are entering the final year of their contract, and the Dolphins would benefit from adding a young, instinctive, physical linebacker who could eventually become a starter in a season or two. What the Dolphins can’t afford it to draft another Channing Tindall, who was all athleticism and no instincts.
