Isaiah
Rodgers.
Isaiah
Rodgers.
Massachusetts
"An undersized UMass corner with elite speed and ball skills, Rodgers turned a sixth-round flier into real NFL snaps as a kick returner and a starting-caliber defender."Pre-draft read
Rodgers was an undersized outside cornerback and return man who played on an island at UMass. His primary trait was speed: he could open, carry vertical routes and close on the ball from off coverage faster than most corners in the class. His technique leaned on that speed, as he often played with loose feet and trusted his recovery burst rather than precise footwork at the line.
His secondary trait was ball skills, with 11 interceptions and three returned for touchdowns in four seasons. Against the run he was willing but light, and bigger receivers could body him on contested catches. The signature was game-changing speed with the ball in his hands, whether on a pick or on kick returns.
Cover-3 and quarters coverage structure that lets an undersized corner play off, read the quarterback and drive on the ball with speed.
Year 1: kick returner and dime corner. Ceiling: a starting outside corner who creates takeaways with speed.
A press-man scheme that asks its corners to jam big X receivers at the line and win physical contested catches all game.
Isaiah Rodgers | Official Sophomore Highlights | UMass Football Cornerback #9
Sophomore-season cut-up from his 2017 UMass campaign.
Most Underrated Cornerback: UMass Cornerback/Returner Isaiah Rodgers #9
College cornerback and return highlights from UMass.
Isaiah Rodgers 87-yard pick-six, Bengals vs. Vikings
His 87-yard interception return for a touchdown against Cincinnati in 2025.
Rodgers was a small-school cornerback with a returner's game: a 5-10, 170-pound speed player who could flip a field with one takeaway. Scouts saw a nickel or outside corner whose size would limit his matchups but whose speed and instincts were impossible to ignore on tape.
He played from his freshman year at UMass and produced every season, finishing with 188 tackles, 11 interceptions, three pick-sixes and 35 passes defended across 45 games. His best coverage year came in 2017 with three interceptions and 14 passes defended, and as a senior he picked off four passes and earned first-team All-America honors from PFF. The flags were his slight frame, soft tackling and level of competition.
Boards generally placed him on Day 3 because of the size and the independent schedule. Indianapolis took him at No. 211 as a return specialist and developmental corner, a pick that bet on speed and ball production translating even if he never became an every-down starter on the outside.
- 01
Elite speed
Could carry vertical routes, recover from a bad step and close on throws from off coverage faster than nearly anyone in the class.
- 02
Ball production
Intercepted 11 passes in four seasons and returned three for touchdowns, showing real instincts to read and finish plays.
- 03
Return value
Brought a dangerous kick-return skill set that gave him a clear path onto an NFL game-day roster as a rookie.
- 04
Four-year starter
Played 45 games at UMass and produced in every season, including 14 passes defended in 2017 and four interceptions in 2019.
- 05
Competitive toughness
Played bigger than his size in run support, finishing his career with 188 tackles and four forced fumbles.
- 01
Slight frame
At 5-10 and 170 pounds he could be bodied by bigger receivers on contested catches and in the red zone.
- 02
Loose technique
Leaned on recovery speed over footwork at the line, which left him open to double moves and sharp breaks.
- 03
Level of competition
Played an independent schedule, so evaluators had few snaps of him against Power Five receivers.
- 04
Soft tackling
Too often went low or reached for ball carriers, and missed tackles in space against stronger backs.
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Massachusetts | 11 | 40 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 2017 | Massachusetts | 12 | 50 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 2 |
| 2018 | Massachusetts | 10 | 56 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 2019 | Massachusetts | 12 | 42 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| Career | — | 45 | 188 | 0 | 11 | 35 | 4 |
Per-season lines from Sports-Reference (includes all games played). Pick-sixes: one each in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Kick-return totals are not included in this defensive table.
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Day 3 Colts corner who filled a rotational role in the secondary.
Undersized Colts corner who turned instincts and toughness into a long starting career.
Speed-first defensive back whose main value came as a kick returner.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Rodgers spent three seasons with Indianapolis, playing 45 games with 10 starts, three interceptions, four fumble recoveries and value as a returner. The Colts waived him in June 2023, and although Philadelphia signed him that August he missed the entire 2023 season for violating the league's gambling policy. He returned in 2024, played 15 games with three starts for the Eagles, recovered a key fumble in the Divisional round against the Rams and won Super Bowl LIX.
Minnesota signed him in March 2025, and he became a regular in its secondary, playing more than 900 snaps and returning an interception 87 yards for a touchdown against Cincinnati in a game where he also forced two fumbles. In hindsight, his speed and ball skills translated, and the suspension cost him a full season in his prime. For a sixth-round pick, a career that reached a full-time role in an NFL secondary was a clear return on the pick.