MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins are coming into a new era below head coach Jeff Hafley, and with a roster that includes a number of young players trying to set up themselves, coaching camp has change into an vital alternative to construct the inspiration of the workforce’s future.
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After Sunday’s follow on the Baptist Health Training Complex, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, cornerback Chris Johnson, guard Jonah Savaiinaea and operating again Ollie Gordon II mentioned their development, preparation and the thrill surrounding the primary padded follow of camp.
Rodriguez, a second-round pick of Texas Tech, has already stood out along with his “violent” type of play and skill to discover the soccer, traits Hafley praised early in coaching camp.
During Sunday’s follow, Rodriguez was energetic across the ball, making a number of would-be stops within the run sport. Despite the workforce training with out pads, operating again Ollie Gordon II even described the rookie linebacker as a “magnet” to the soccer.
Rodriguez, who was identified in faculty for punching the soccer out of opposing players’ palms, mentioned creating turnovers comes down to being aggressive whereas figuring out when to take the appropriate shot.
“The worry is there, but you gotta do it. You gotta take a chance to hit,” Rodriguez mentioned. “And I think you see what you punch, it’s like a boxer, you know, like if you see the ball, you punch it. If you’re just kind of throwing a blind punch, then that’s when it kind of gets risky like you could actually hit a face mask and actually break a knuckle or something, but you know if you’re seeing what you’re punching.”
Rodriguez mentioned teammates have requested him about his capability to pressure fumbles, however his aim is to assist your entire protection create extra takeaways.
“I mean, some guys come like jokingly, and then we’ll kind of get into a conversation about it, but like I’m all about shooting everybody trying to go and take the ball away,” Rodriguez mentioned. “If we can take 3 more a game, and that kind of stat that would help us win, it’d be unbelievable. So anything I could do to help everybody kind of take the ball away, not that I’m perfect at it or have it figured out, but, you know, I’ve just been fortunate enough to get a few.”
Rodriguez mentioned he was in a position to meet former Chicago Bears cornerback Charles “Peanut” Tillman, who popularized the “Peanut Punch,” and study extra in regards to the approach used to pressure the ball out of opponents’ palms.
Rodriguez’s path to the NFL has additionally helped form his mindset. He informed reporters the very first thing he purchased after receiving his first NFL paycheck was a mattress.
While he was a walk-on at Texas Tech, Rodriguez mentioned he initially slept on his brother’s flooring, making the easy buy a significant reminder of how far he has come.
Rodriguez will get his first style of padded soccer Monday, one thing he mentioned will assist the workforce proceed growing.
“I’m very excited for that,” Rodriguez mentioned. “I think what we’ve been doing so far has been great. It’s helping us a lot with technique and where to use our hands and how to do a lot of the ins and outs and stuff, but, you know, football is played, like I said, physically, and when football pads come on and shoulder pads and everything else with it, you start to get to play real football.”
Gordon, who’s coming into his second NFL season, mentioned he’s additionally trying ahead to placing the pads again on and getting again to the bodily facet of soccer.
“We all get to get in pads, we’d have some click clack and then, you know, it’s one of those days,” Gordon mentioned.
The second-year operating again mentioned the largest distinction coming into this season is being able to give attention to soccer with out the strain of the draft course of and studying all the pieces for the primary time.
“Last year I felt like I gotta learn this, you know, you gotta train, you gotta do that,” he mentioned. “But I feel like this year is more like, OK, I can ease into it. I know my study habit, learn how to take care of my body also now, so I feel like just those things make it easier.”
Cornerback Chris Johnson, the Dolphins’ first-round choose within the 2026 NFL Draft, additionally made his presence felt Sunday when he intercepted quarterback Quinn Ewers throughout workforce drills.
Johnson, who has been working at each outdoors nook and within the slot, mentioned the flexibility has helped him perceive how all elements of the protection work collectively.
“Yeah, it definitely helps, just being able to take certain things away from the field,” Johnson mentioned. “If they can mess up timing out there, then I know that it’s a lot more traffic out there for the slot receiver to get to.”
Johnson mentioned his interception, which was thrown by quarterback Quinn Ewers, got here down to trusting his task and making a play when the chance introduced itself.
“Yeah, really just playing my coverage, man,” Johnson mentioned. “Started off in a bunch, motion to just a stack, so I get the calls from the safety. Obviously, we’re all on the same page, you know what we’re doing, so, you know, I cover the ground I’m supposed to cover and just make a play.”
Offense guard Jonah Savaiinaea, who moved to proper guard this offseason and switched to No. 71, mentioned the place change has helped him really feel extra comfy coming into his second NFL season.
Dolphins guard Jonah Savaiinaea talks about getting again to his roots, why he switched to No. 71 and switching to proper guard. pic.twitter.com/Z4WwUvnRjU
— Ryan Mackey (@RyanMackeyWPLG) August 2, 2026
“I mean, the biggest thing is, you know, going into year two, I feel like that plays a big factor. I’ve been confident out there,” he mentioned. “I mean, I’ve been watching myself and I was like, damn, you know, I, I didn’t have this, this time last year.”
Hafley known as Savaiinaea a “pleasant surprise” earlier than Sunday’s follow.
With the Dolphins bringing in 13 rookies from the 2026 draft class, the most important draft class for the reason that NFL adopted a seven-round format in 1994, a number of young players can have alternatives to earn roles all through coaching camp.
The Dolphins will maintain their first padded follow of camp Monday at 9:30 a.m. on the Baptist Health Training Complex.
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