MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins have embraced competition across the roster under first-year coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, adding players at nearly every position this offseason.
The team used a second-round pick on off-ball linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and selected Kyle Louis in the fourth round. Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson, who combined for 318 tackles in 2025 — the highest total among two teammates in the NFL last season — did not view the additions as a threat.
Brooks, who attended Texas Tech like Rodriguez, drove from his home to the Dolphins’ facility after the pick, and Dodson expressed enthusiasm for the rookie class. ‘When (Rodriguez) got here, it’s love, man,’ Dodson said. ‘If you’re a linebacker anywhere, I support you. And if you’re rocking out, let’s rock out together. Table is big enough to sit here, you know what I’m saying?’
Both Brooks and Dodson are in the final years of their contracts, though the team has publicly expressed interest in re-signing Brooks. Sullivan called Brooks a ‘pillar’ of what the organization is trying to build and said Rodriguez will eventually call the Dolphins’ defense, a role Dodson filled last season. Dodson added it would be more discouraging if the team released or traded him, which he would take as a sign he could not compete.
Defensive coordinator Sean Duggan said the Dolphins are focused on installing Hafley’s scheme and re-teaching fundamentals through OTAs and minicamp, and that training camp will help determine playing time. ‘I think the goal is to get the best three guys on the field,’ Duggan said, adding that pads-on practices will better reveal who the defense will be.
Miami’s linebacker room includes Brooks, Dodson, Rodriguez, Louis, Willie Gay Jr., Jackson Woodard and free-agent signing Ronnie Harrison Jr. Sullivan emphasized the roster will be built on competition and that coaches will play the players who give the team the best chance to win.
