Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley reveals his biggest surprise from the 2026 NFL Draft class

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Miami Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Of the 13 rookies the Miami Dolphins drafted, which one surprised head coach Jeff Hafley to see on the board the most?

The Miami Dolphins will have no shortage of contenders for ‘most productive rookie’ when their 2026 season comes to a close.

13 rookies. It stands as the second-largest draft class in team history. And with the state of Miami’s salary cap and roster, many of those guys are going to play. A lot. That’s no surprise and it’s already expected. Head coach Jeff Hafley has leaned into it every time he’s been asked. But his latest discussion around his Miami Dolphins charged him with answering a different question. Of those 13 rookies from the 2026 NFL Draft, which was was Hafley and company most surprised to see on the board when they were picked? Hafley answered that question during a segment with his former player in San Francisco, cornerback Richard Sherman, on ‘The Richard Sherman Podcast’.

Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley reveals his biggest surprise from the 2026 NFL Draft class

“One guy I didn’t think would be there when we took them was probably (linebacker Jacob) Rodriguez. I would have thought…he would have been picked sooner. Just his college tape, I think the upside, I think the potential, I think the leadership capability, the playmaking ability, the production. I thought he would have been gone by that pick. So when he was still there, that one we were all pretty excited about that pick.”