Stacking two 2026 NFL Draft prospects next to Dexter Coakley gets interesting fast when you look at size, production, and athletic profile.
The football world is not debating Dexter Coakley, Taurean York, and Jacob Rodriguez together, but when I line them up by size, play style, and production, I like the Coakley comp.
When I think about Dexter Coakley, I don’t think about some giant prototype linebacker. I think about a guy who was undersized, explosive, instinctive, and always around the football.
Trying to find stats from Appalachian State was difficult, but I found his collegiate career totals. Dexter Coakley had 616 career tackles, 350 solo tackles, 37 double-digit tackle games, and seven games with 20 or more stops.
That is absurd production and the reason he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Why Taurean York Feels Like the Style Comp
When you look at Taurean York, the first thing that jumps off the screen is his frame.
ESPN and other sites list him at 5’10” and 227 pounds, and that compact build gives me a Dexter Coakley feel right away.
York was also productive at Texas A&M, posting 228 career tackles, 106 solo tackles, and 122 assists.
He looks like the kind of linebacker who sees it, trusts it, and goes. Not much about his game seems flashy, but he is instinctive, compact, and always around the play.
I think that is where Dexter Coakley comp correlates for me. Not the historic stats, but the players’ style of play.
I don’t want to force the comp too far. Taurean York’s numbers are good, but they aren’t Dexter Coakley good.
I see this as more of a body-type and instincts match rather than raw production.
Jacob Rodriguez Changes the Conversation
Then there’s Jacob Rodriguez, and this is where it gets tough.
Rodriguez is close to the same body-type comp as Taurean York. He was listed at the 2026 NFL Combine as being 6’1” and 231 pounds, so he’s bigger and built slightly more like a modern off-ball linebacker.
What I think makes him impossible to leave out is his production. Texas Tech credits Jacob Rodriguez with 316 total tackles, 178 solo tackles, 25.5 tackles for a loss, 6 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, 6 interceptions, and 5 fumble recoveries. Man, that’s a stat line.
Still, half the tackle production of Dexter Coakley, but the production still makes the comp fit better.
Jacob Rodriguez is actually closer to Dexter Coakley’s NFL size than Taurean York, but the thing that I really like in the comp arena is the disruptive forces both Rodriguez and Coakley were in college. Just a bigger, more modern version.
The Best Comp for Dexter Coakley
If you ask me who feels the most like Dexter Coakley, I say Taurean York. The build, the compact frame, and the instinctive style all fit.
Jacob Ridriguez brings the most modern impact in the same spirit as Coakley. The production is better, the splash plays are bigger, and the overall player is more disruptive.
This is where I landed on this comparison.
Dexter Coakley is a good comp for both of these players. Taurean York matches the style of play, while Jacob Rodriguez matches the impact.
And I feel like that is what makes this a fun linebacker debate.
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