EC #28

Elijah Campbell

Safety · Northern Iowa

An undrafted survivor out of Northern Iowa, Elijah Campbell has carved out a six-year NFL career as a special-teams standout.

Elijah Campbell's path to the NFL ran through Iowa Western Community College and Northern Illinois before he found a home at Northern Iowa, then fought his way onto NFL rosters as an undrafted free agent. He has since made a career of doing the unglamorous work on special teams, most recently with the Giants.

★ Undrafted free agent out of Northern Iowa who has carved out a six-year NFL career

★ 68 career games played, primarily as a core special-teams contributor

★ Five interceptions as a senior at Northern Iowa in 2017

Path to the league

Campbell started at safety for Northern Iowa, recording 51 tackles, five interceptions and 17 pass breakups as a senior in 2017 after transferring in from Iowa Western Community College and Northern Illinois. He went undrafted in 2018 and had to earn his roster spots the hard way, beginning with stints with the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets.

Career highlights

Campbell spent five seasons with the Miami Dolphins, appearing in 68 games with three starts and building a reputation as a reliable special-teams contributor rather than a regular defensive piece. Over his career he has totaled 45 tackles, two passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

2025 season recap

Campbell appeared in 10 games for Miami in 2025 before being placed on injured reserve in late December, with his defensive workload limited to just 16 snaps on the year as he continued to contribute primarily on special teams.