According to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, the Indianapolis Colts will select Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez with the 47th overall pick and Michigan edge Jaishawn Barham with the 78th overall pick in his ‘Day 2’ 2026 NFL Mock Draft—just hours before NFL teams will be on the clock again for Friday evening.
Regarding Rodriguez, the 6,’1”, 231 pound senior linebacker for Texas Tech recorded 128 tackles (63 solo), 11 tackles for loss, a sack, 4 interceptions, 6 passes defensed, 2 fumble recovers, and 7 forced fumbles during 14 starts this past season—earning unanimous All-American, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and All-Big 12 honors (*for a consecutive year) among his other impressive seasonal accolades.
Per NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, Rodriguez is the 42nd best overall prospect in this year’s class:
Rodriguez is an off-ball linebacker with outstanding instincts, playmaking ability and intangibles. He’s a dominant player against the run, sorting through the muddy box to locate ball-carriers and bring them to the ground. He finds a lane and attacks with inside-out leverage. He’s a tackle for loss machine. His lateral range is excellent, too. In pass coverage, he’s best utilized as a zone dropper. He relies on his awareness/feel for the game to position himself for interceptions and pass breakups. In man coverage, he does have some issues when he’s asked to stop/start and mirror. He has a unique ability to punch the ball away as a tackler, leading to 13 career forced fumbles, including seven last season. Overall, Rodriguez is polished and equipped to make an immediate impact.
Meanwhile, Barham is a 6,’3.5”, 240 pound senior edge (with 32 3/8” arms), who recorded 32 tackles (21 solo), 10 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, 3 passes defensed, and a forced fumble during 12 starts this past season. He was formerly a Freshman All-American with the Maryland Terrapins back in 2022.
Barham logged most of his snaps at off-ball linebacker, but his 2025 tape showed explosiveness that will attract teams seeking a developmental rush ‘backer in an odd front. He’s raw as a rusher, relying heavily on athleticism, but the missing elements are teachable. Whether outside or inside, he’s a professional block-beater with the tools to stack or slip blocks, though his edge-setting needs work. His bend and reactive agility create unlikely tackle chances that few can find. His intensity and motor are top-tier but he needs to play with better discipline to avoid negative snaps. With explosive traits and inside-outside versatility, he projects as an impactful future starter once his technique catches up.
The Colts would arguably address two of their three biggest positional needs by adding a ‘plug-and-play’ starting linebacker in the 2nd level of Lou Anarumo’s defense and at least an impact rotational edge to bolster their unit.