The Miami Dolphins made one waiver claim on Wednesday. No, it wasn’t a running back. Or an offensive lineman. Or another pass rusher to help cover for the injury to Vince Biegel. Nope. The Dolphins’ waiver claim was, naturally, a defensive back. Miami kept 12 defensive backs out of 53 initial players on their roster, only to use their waiver claim to add another. The corresponding move was to release defensive back Jamal Perry, however — so Miami’s numbers remain in the same place as what they were before.
And so your newest member of the 53-man roster is Elijah Campbell, formerly of the New York Jets. Campbell has played 36 snaps of NFL action over three games in 2020 with the Jets after finishing his college career with Northern Iowa back in 2018. Since then, he’s been with the Cleveland Browns, the Jets and also spent time in both the AAF and XFL.
He’s well traveled. And while this may feel like an off the wall maneuver for that reason, it would seem upon reviewing his resume that the Dolphins are getting someone who is also well traveled on the field, too. Campbell has logged time in multiple alignments on defense across his professional football travels; and he’s well versed on the special teams units.
That’s what you’re getting in Campbell: versatility and special teams potential. And athleticism. That’s a big one, too.
On Campbell’s 2018 Pro Day at Northern Iowa, he logged an impressive all-around performance and showcase of his explosiveness.
4.40s 40-yard dash
39″ vertical jump
10’05” broad jump
7.08s 3-cone drill
4.06s short shuttle
Perry, the man Campbell is replacing, logged similar numbers coming out of Iowa State in 2017 with a 4.43s 40, a 37.5″ vertical and a 10’04” broad jump; but Perry accomplished his numbers while checking in two inches shorter and 12 pounds lighter than Campbell did at his respective Pro Day.
Perry saw his defensive snaps cut from 598 in 2019 to just 140 in 2020; although his special teams role was stable year over year and actually increased from 161 to 178. If you want to know what the Dolphins are getting in Campbell, consider him a bigger and more explosive player to fill presumably the exact same role that Perry was otherwise going to fill in the secondary and on special teams for the Dolphins.
Kick and punt coverage, kick and punt returns and very slight usage on the team’s defense when needing to dip into 6+ defensive back formations (and even then it may end up taking some injuries for Campbell to claim those reps).