The Dolphins' first selection on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft is a linebacker that was as productive as any defensive player in college football last season.
Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez was selected by Miami with the 43rd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Friday.
Leading all of FBS with seven forced fumbles, Rodriguez collected a team-best 128 tackles along with 11 tackles for loss, four interceptions and six pass breakups en route to winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award as the nation's top defender as well as the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker.
Rodriguez also finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting.
More NFL Draft: How Jacob Rodriguez fits with Miami Dolphins
Here are a couple additional items about Rodriguez that you may not have known.
While the second-round draft pick is expected to lead the middle of the Miami Dolphins defense, his wife will be serving her country while flying through the skies.
Emma Rodriguez is a 15A Aviation Officer in the United States Army, as she flies the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. She attended the United States Miltary Academy at West Point, graduating in 2023. She is on active duty and expected to deploy in a few months, according to an interview with Fox News.
The couple entered a relationship during their high school days in northern Texas as she attended Wichita Falls High School while he went to Rider High School. They got married in July 2023.
Just prior to the Draft, Jacob Rodriguez joined his wife for a visit to a local flight simulator. He detailed his experience in an interview with People.com.
"I got to see how she flies and see what she gets to do on a daily basis... It's very stressful," he said. "To see her in her element, doing what she does, doing what she loves to do, it shows me a deeper appreciation for everything."
The place where Rodriguez will call home in the NFL was also the site of his final collegiate game.
Texas Tech were defeated by the Oregon Ducks 23-0 in the Orange Bowl during the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. In that game, Rodriguez racked up 11 total tackles.
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins' Jacob Rodriguez's wife is a Black Hawk pilot