When the Bengals line up against the Dolphins on Sunday, the mismatch at linebacker is impossible to miss. Miami’s middle of the defense features two players who can shape a game in different ways: Jordyn Brooks, the veteran enforcer, and Jacob Rodriguez, the rookie who’s already flashing across the stat sheet.
That pairing is more than just a strength for Miami. It’s also the kind of setup Cincinnati should have in mind when it starts sorting through its own linebacker situation next offseason.
Brooks is the type of addition the Bengals were linked to for months, and he wound up staying out of reach after Miami signed him to a three-year, $51.3 million extension. He’s built like the old-school middle linebacker - fast, physical, and constantly around the ball - and the numbers back it up.
Brooks led the NFL last season with 183 tackles and earned First-team All-Pro honors. The only year he failed to top 100 tackles came as a rookie in 2020.
Just as important, he brings reliability. Last season, Brooks missed only ten tackles, good for a 5.2% missed-tackle rate. By comparison, Demetrius Knight had 18 missed tackles and a 14.5% miss rate, while Barrett Carter finished with 17 misses and a 13.8% rate.
If the Bengals are still searching for stability in the middle after this season, the lesson is clear: find a veteran who can clean things up. Knight and Carter may still grow into that role, but if they don’t, Cincinnati needs a proven tackler who can handle the middle of the field.
Miami didn’t stop there, either. The Dolphins also used the draft to add the other half of the formula, landing Rodriguez in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
He’s lived up to the billing right away. According to @SumerSports, Rodriguez is tied for first in total tackles among linebackers, ranks second in run stops and assisted tackles, is third in interceptions, seventh in solo tackles, and eighth in tackles for loss.
He also owns the most tackles ever by a Dolphins rookie through his first four games.
Rodriguez has been exactly the kind of coverage-and-tackling presence the Bengals have needed. Cincinnati still hasn’t solved its issue covering tight ends, and that’s the same hole Rodriguez was viewed as being able to help fill.
He leads Miami in tackles this season and has missed only two, a 4.2% missed-tackle rate. Brooks, as expected, sits second on the team in tackles.
That’s the blueprint Cincinnati can steal: add a veteran thumper in free agency, then pair him with a rookie who can tackle and help in coverage. Finding a Brooks-level player on the open market won’t be easy, but that’s the model.
There are already names worth watching for the future. One is Ben Roberts, Rodriguez’s former Texas Tech teammate, who is eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft.
Another is Penn State’s Tony Rojas, who has kept piling up production. Through five games this season, Rojas has 21 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions, and two passes defended.
Over his 3.5 years at Penn State, Rojas has totaled 139 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, and six interceptions. He’s the kind of linebacker who keeps making plays all over the field, and teams in need at the position will be watching closely.
The Bengals are still favored against Miami on Sunday, even with the status of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins uncertain. But at linebacker, the Dolphins hold the clear edge. If Cincinnati wants to close that gap next offseason, Miami has already shown the path.
In Other News...
Rex Ryan Just Sparked A New Bengals Debate Around Joe Burrow
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Bengals Suddenly Have A Receiver Debate Fans Cant Ignore
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Marvin Harrison Jr. is the name getting the most attention in that conversation, thanks to his talent and the kind of fit he would represent in Cincinnatis passing game. It is still only speculation, but the discussion says plenty about where the Bengals are right now: thin at receiver, under pressure to keep the offense afloat, and suddenly in the middle of a debate fans did not see coming. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bengals Star Sounds Alarm On A Problem Burrow Can't Escape
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Houshmandzadeh also flagged trouble covering tight ends and noted Burrows two interceptions as costly plays in a season where every mistake seems to carry extra weight. With Miami and Baltimore next on the schedule, the Bengals are staring at a stretch that will test whether those issues can be cleaned up quickly or whether they keep following Burrow from week to week. [Read more 🡒]