You would think a rookie linebacker might be feeling himself after leading his team in tackles in the first win of his NFL career. You would think he might fly into a jubilant locker room and celebrate with the rest of his teammates. And you would be wrong.
"I actually didn’t celebrate, because I was little upset that I missed a couple tackles that I shouldn’t have," Malcolm Rodriguez told Fox 2's Dan Miller this week. "(Linebackers) Coach (Kelvin Sheppard) saw that and he’s like, ‘I like that, I like the way you think.’ But it was a good team win, some guys were celebrating, I was one of those didn’t celebrate. I’m very hard on myself and critique myself heavily."
Rodriguez has been a boon for the Lions since entering the building as a sixth-round pick. GM Brad Holmes figured he would contribute this season on special teams, where he shined at Oklahoma State. Then Rodriguez outplayed basically everyone in Detroit's linebackers room in training camp -- to the point where Sheppard was calling out the vets for getting left behind -- and won the starting job next to Alex Anzalone. Now he's one of the highest-graded rookie defenders in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
Did Holmes steal another one? He drafted Amon-Ra St. Brown in the fourth round last year, the 17th receiver off the board, and discovered a budding star at a position of need for the Lions. He filled another need with Rodriguez, the 18th linebacker off the board. Like St. Brown, who knows the names of each of the receivers drafted before him, Rodriguez uses his draft slide as fuel.
"I know the guys that went before me," he said. "I see where they’re at in the league and I just keep doing my thing, but it’s always in the back of my mind."
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Rodriguez is the NFL's highest-graded rookie linebacker through two games, per PFF. He was the highest graded rookie defender, period, in Week 2. He made quite the impression in Week 1 on Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce, who said after getting hurled to the turf by the hard-hitting rookie, "That kid's got a really bright future." It's early, but Rodriguez looks like one of the steals of the 2022 draft.
"They’re saying that, but at the end of the day, I’m always trying to improve myself," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez made six tackles with a tackle for loss in Week 1. He made eight tackles with a tackle for loss in Week 2. Maybe more notably, he's been on top of his assignments. He has played fast, instinctive football. He'll have his hands full Sunday against Dalvin Cook and the dangerous Vikings offense, but Rodriguez has tackled every challenge so far.
Not that he's ready to celebrate.
"just coming in every day and trying to learn the system even more," he said.
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