Dolphins’ linebacker duo gives Bengals blueprint for fixing biggest defensive need

When the Cincinnati Bengals face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, they will face two of the better linebackers in the NFL. 

While Jordyn Brooks and Jacob Rodriguez are two different types of players, having both of them in the middle is one of the few promising aspects of the Dolphins’ roster. 

It could also serve as a blueprint for what the Bengals could do next offseason to address their need at the position. That is, if they still need help at the position at that point. 

Brooks a trade Bengals should’ve, didn’t make

We here at Stripe Hype have made several posts about the Bengals pursuing Miami’s Jordyn Brooks in one form or another this offseason, but to no avail.

That option became an impossibility this offseason when the Dolphins wisely signed Brooks to a three-year extension worth $51.3 million.  

Brooks is a faster, more athletic version of the “old-school” linebackers who used to roam and enforce the middle of the field, in the same vein as Rey Lewis. 

Brooks led the NFL last season with 183 tackles and earned First-team All-Pro honors.  

The only season that Brooks did not have over 100 tackles was in his rookie season in 2020.

Brooks has proven to be the same sure tackler in the NFL that he was at Texas Tech. Last season, he had ten missed tackles and a 5.2% missed-tackle rate. 

For comparison, Demetrius Knight registered 18 missed tackles with a 14.5% miss rate. Barrett Carter had 17 missed tackles of his own with a 13.8% miss rate.

Brooks made his way to Miami via free agency in 2024 on a three-year contract. Next offseason, the Bengals need to find a veteran enforcer in the vein of Brooks who can man the middle as a sure tackler if Knight and/or Carter can’t become that for Cincinnati. 

While the Dolphins found Brooks in free agency, they also did their due diligence in finding the yang to his yin in the draft. 

With the 43rd overall pick, the Dolphins select…

The Dolphins had Jacob Rodriguez fall into their laps in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. And he's proved to be everything we thought he would be. 

Before the 2025 campaign ended, we identified a problem with the Bengals’ defense and Rodriguez as a possible solution. However, that hindrance persists into 2026 as, for some reason, Cincinnati’s defense still can’t cover tight ends. 

Rodriguez was seen as the type of player who could help immensely as a tackler and coverage backer, similar to Logan Wilson, whom the Bengals selected out of Wyoming as one of Brooks’ draft mates.   

Miami’s rookie Rodriguez leads his team in tackles this year, while only missing two tackles for a miss rate of 4.2%. 

Unsurprisingly, Brooks has the second-most tackles for the Dolphins this season. 

Bengals should steal Miami’s LB blueprint

As the Bengals undoubtedly continue to tinker with the defense next offseason, they could follow the blueprint the Dolphins left in their wake.

The Bengals could sign a veteran ‘thumper’ at the position, although finding a free agent who can be a difference maker on par with Brooks will be difficult. 

Hopefully, Knight or Carter can develop into that. 

Then, the front office could pair that free-agent linebacker with a rookie draft pick. Preferably one who is an excellent tackler and can also aid the pass defense, especially against tight ends.

It just so happens that one player who is available in the 2027 NFL Draft who fits the mold of the type of linebacker the Bengals should be looking for is Rodriguez’s former Texas Tech teammate, Ben Roberts. 

Bengals fans should be keeping a very close eye on Roberts and Texas Tech this year. But if you cannot, do not worry, as the Bengals scouts were already in Lubbock, Texas, earlier this season, putting in the work on Roberts and his teammates.

Another linebacker that fits this mold is Penn State’s Tony Rojas, who is picking up where he left off last season. Through five games this year, Rojas has recorded 21 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions, and two passes defended. 

In his 3.5 years at Penn State, Rojas has registered 139 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, and six interceptions. And there’s more to come, including linebacker-needy teams scouting him for next year’s draft.

Bengals have 99 advantages, but LB ain’t one

The Bengals remain heavy favorites over the Dolphins on Sunday despite the status of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins up in the air. 

However, while everyone expects the men in stripes to have an advantage, the Dolphins have a significant advantage at starting linebacker. Hopefully, Zac Taylor and his scheme will limit their impact. 

Either way, while nothing is going right for the Dolphins this season, at least they know they’ll have two top-tier linebackers in the years to come.

Perhaps the Bengals will too, but if they need more motivation to fix the position, they’ll get a good look at what could be in their not-so-distant future, with a blueprint for how to get there. 

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