Detroit Lions Malcolm Rodriguez has ‘wrestler’s mentality’

The Detroit Lions have relied on a pair of linebackers to help a unit that received repeated praise throughout the 2024 season.

DetroitThe linebackers coaching staff believes the linebackers unit is one of the deepest on the roster, so when Derrick Barnes went down with a knee injury, Malcolm Rodriguez and Trevor Nowaske have taken advantage of the increased playing time.

Rodriguez had seen his role at linebacker diminish last season when the team drafted Jack Campbell.

Despite more special teams role last year, linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard didn’t waver in his belief that the 25-year-old was a starting-caliber linebacker.

“To be honest, it’s a wrestler’s mentality. It goes back to his background, his upbringing,” Sheppard said. “He has phenomenal parents, phenomenal brothers, phenomenal family and he was raised the right way. Mental toughness, you talk about perseverance, trying to wrestle and trying to do it for a minute, let alone a whole match. That mentality and mentality allows him to persevere through anything.

“Even last year I stood in front of you and said, ‘Malcolm Rodriguez is a starter in my mind.’ I’ve never wavered from that since his rookie year when he burst onto the scene at running back and took the spot of every veteran in the room thus far,” Sheppard further noted. “He’s a starting-caliber linebacker and now he’s moving up a spot where a lot of people see him at the top of the linebackers when you actually watch him play.”

Aaron Glenn said it Rodríguez is a player he wants to have on the field and he looks forward to his continued growth.

Rodriguez has started three games this year and has played 180 defensive snaps, which accounts for 45 percent of Detroit’s defensive action. Last year, he played just 11 percent of the team’s defensive plays.

The confident go-getter has developed well during his time in Detroit. His demonstration of understanding the defense helped him earn a starting role as a rookie, and he has continued his upward trajectory despite changes in his role.

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For the season, Rodriguez has 26 combined tackles and two sacks.

“Listen, I said that from the beginning. That room is a special room. We have some guys who can start for us.” Glenn said. “We have a number of guys there who play on all the special teams and come to play for us on defense. My philosophy is that if you have a good player, you try to get him on the field as much as possible. Rodrigo is a guy that we trying to get as much on the field as possible. Whenever we have injuries, especially in that room, we go to the next guy because we know that guy will do the job. I’m still a young player, still has one long way to go. But man, listen, I have no problem playing that player as a starter or backup. But one way or another, shape or form, he’s going to be on the field for us, because he is a good player.”

Speaking to Lions OnSI, the talented linebacker said he has remained ready, learned from teammates and is willing to help the team in any way he can.

“It’s one of those things where it’s a cracking competition,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of things can happen, a lot of guys get hurt and it’s the next player. So to have that mentality, you never know when you’re going to get called up. So it’s one of those things where you have to stay ready and go out there and you have to do your job.

“It didn’t really change for me. I’m blessed to still be in this position and still be on the field. Help the team in any way I can, go out there and continue to compete at a high level.”

This year, Rodríguez has focused on the details of the position, the fundamentals, and learned more and more about how defenses force mismatches.

“Just learning techniques,” Rodriguez explained. “Kind of editing yourself and still doing all the little things, behind-the-scenes stuff. Working through the script and things like that. It’s one of those things where you just work on your craft.”

Detroits defense blitzed at a very high pace against the Vikings.

Of Aidan Hutchinson out of the lineup, the aggressiveness of the linebackers can help take advantage of natural mismatches when linebackers rush down a running back.

“It’s great. It’s one of those things where you keep running in to protect, and as a linebacker you love your matchup no matter what,” Rodriguez said. “We know we have to create some friction on the front lines and our pockets when they come to us.