The Miami Dolphins have stumbled out of the gate, but Jacob Rodriguez has given them something to point to in the early weeks of the season.
The rookie linebacker, taken 43rd overall out of Texas Tech, has already piled up 28 total tackles and an interception through three games. That start has pushed him to the front of the Defensive Rookie of the Year race, with the majority of sportsbooks now listing him as the favorite. At BetMGM Sportsbook, he’s sitting at +350.
Rodriguez has also been a familiar name on betting slips since before the season even kicked off. Christian Cipollini, Senior Trading Manager at BetMGM, said Rodriguez has drawn steady attention from bettors.
"Jacob Rodriguez has the fourth most tickets to win DROY and has seen consistent backing both preseason and during the [regular] season.”
The buzz around Rodriguez has led to comparisons with last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, Carson Schwesinger. Joey Feazel, Head of Football at Caesars Sportsbook, said the rookie is following a similar path.
"Jacob Rodriguez has been attracting some action as he is seemingly taking the same steps that Carson Schwesinger did last year.”
There’s also a broader betting angle at play. Johnny Avello, the Director of Race and Sports Operations for DraftKings Sportsbook, pointed to Rodriguez and the player just behind him on the board, David Bailey of the New York Jets, who also came out of Texas Tech. Bailey is listed at +450.
"They're both on really bad offensive teams, so they're going to be on the field quite frequently, so maybe that's the bettors' angle here."
Rodriguez was never exactly flying under the radar for sportsbooks. Ty Gour, a Sports Trader at Fanatics Sportsbook, said the support started in the preseason and hasn’t let up.
"We were getting bets on him in the preseason. He had a great year at Texas Tech last year.
We really staked our flag; even internally, we rated him stronger than the market, as a lot of the football traders here really took a liking to the way he plays and viewed him as a pro-ready prospect immediately coming into the draft. Since he's gotten to the league, he's proven just that.
That action on him has been pretty steady throughout, and he's our third-most-bet selection since the season has started, behind Caleb Downs and David Bailey."
Rodriguez gets another shot to strengthen his case on Sunday, when the Dolphins face the Minnesota Vikings as double-digit underdogs. Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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