BOLD TAKE: Panthers will draft Jacob Rodriguez @19

[Basbear]

20 hours ago, csx said:

Rodriquez is a significantly better athlete. He's had significantly higher production. He's has been much more recognized at the position. Its really not close from that standpoint.

[TheSpecialJuan]

11 minutes ago, Basbear said:

James Franco's career had gone to hell after all those sexual perversion allegations 

[Basbear]

Just now, TheSpecialJuan said:

James Franco's career had gone to hell after all those sexual perversion allegations 

Dang, they got him too?? I wonder what he wouldn't do in order to expose his blackmail. 

[Swaggasaurus]

31 minutes ago, Basbear said:

That’s a lot of awards brother, compared to Beason, who wasn’t even All ACC. The combine testing numbers suggest Mini Luke Kuechly. It was a physical game even at Luke’s size, is he big enough is the question.

Edited Tuesday at 10:34 PM by Swaggasaurus

[Basbear]

2 minutes ago, Swaggasaurus said:

That’s a lot of awards brother, compared to Beason, who wasn’t even All ACC. The combine testing numbers suggest Mini Luke Kuechly. It was a physical game even at Luke’s size, is he big enough is the question.

Ya'll are making a case.....don't know if Im ready to join..... just like safety, center, and ILB its just against my religion to spend the 1st round currency........thennnnn I see the luke-like combine........I think if beason was in this era he'd be faster too, but again I feel there should be a easy 5 names above jrod even if you're in deep love..... 

[Shocker]

He is worth the pick IMO. 

[Jackie Lee]

3 minutes ago, Shocker said:

He is worth the pick IMO. 

If we try to trade back 5 spots to be cheap he'll be gone and we'll settle for some backup level cb or something. We've been horrible inside since Luvu left and the front seven always makes the secondary better, rarely the other way around

[csx]

There are a lot of good linebackers this draft. Its not just him.

[ncsfinest21]

Rodriguez is my pick. Dude came in college as a QB. Understands the mindset and one of our biggest issues last year was the middle of the field and coverage. Some worried about his size. You can put on mass but the mechanics is where its at. With DB require attention on the line, he will be able to get through for the run but his coverage skills is off the chart. Ive been saying this for weeks. He would be my pick. He wasnt a heisman runner up for nothing.

[jfra78]

9 hours ago, csx said:

There are a lot of good linebackers this draft. Its not just him.

It is if thats the guy they want. 

[45catfan]

Not a chance. Maybe, just maybe if we move back far enough.

Edited 22 hours ago by 45catfan

[PanthersNCSU]

I still go back to the beat writers having a read on Rodriguez IF he was in play at 19. 

If Dan puts his nuts on the table and takes him, pretty solid job of keeping the secrets in house. 

[Khyber53]

He won't be there by the time our pick comes back around in the second round.

We've got to move in the first. Maybe, if the waters seem calm at the time, trade back with Buffalo and pick him then. 

Oh what the hell. Grab him if he's there in the first and then roll on. Take Jalon Kilgore, the safety out of SC in the second, and Lee Hunter the DT from Texas Tech in the third. And somewhere deep in the draft snag Caden Barnett "the Vanilla Gorilla" RT from Wyoming to study behind all of our linemen and set up to take over for one of them in 2027.

 

[shaqattaq]

On 4/20/2026 at 7:16 PM, TheSpecialJuan said:

Franchise legend Luke Kuechly and longtime snapper JJ Jansen chatted about the outlook of the 2026 NFL Draft on the latest episode of their podcast, JJ and Luke. When the conversation ventured into Kuechly's expertise, the soon-to-be Pro Football Hall of Famer gave a pretty strong endorsement of a potential target for Carolina—Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez . . .

Jacob Rodriguez is Luke’s favorite LB

 

https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/panthers/2026/04/09/nfl-draft-panthers-luke-kuechly-jacob-rodriguez/89527881007/

Thomas Davis was singing his praises on Smitty's channel a few weeks ago. He had Rodriguez ranked 3rd behind the 2 from Ohio State.