New role for Nik Needham?

Heading into his sixth season with the Miami Dolphins, Nik Needham could become a valuable member of the secondary

Nik Needham / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

There is an experiment a few seasons in the making potentially taking shape in the Miami Dolphins secondary.

Nik Needham, undrafted in 2019 as a cornerback from UTEP, was captured in a Miami Dolphins Twitter account picture along with the current Dolphins safety group of Jevon Holland, Elijah Campbell and Jordan Poyer, who recently signed free agency.

The picture, which hit Twitter from the Dolphins verified account on Wednesday at 4:07 pm EST, had the caption “squad up,” indicating that these are the team's veteran safeties.

Squad 🆙 pic.twitter.com/E6S0wtNucu

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) May 8, 2024

Needham, who originally was a practice squad player and then was elevated to the main roster in Week 6 of 2019, played cornerback to begin his professional career.

It was in 2021 that, after time backing up Xavien Howard on the boundary, Needham was moved to a slot role, a role in which he excelled in that season.

According to PFF, he held the highest coverage grade among cornerbacks in 2021 at 90.8. Additionally, in his 272 snaps in the slot, he didn’t allow a single touchdown, the most without allowing a score in the league that season.

In 2022, he was building on that momentum, then suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. He returned to Miami in sporadic action for Vic Fangio’s defense after beginning the year on the PUP list. He played in 10 games and saw limited snaps at safety and the slot.

WEAVER'S ARRIVAL COULD MEAN MORE PLAYING TIME FOR NEEDHAM

With new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver now in Miami, he brings a defense that could get more safeties and defensive backs on the field more regularly.

Weaver deploys interesting looks and not a traditional 4-3 set. He can utilize five or six defensive backs consistently in rotation, and Needham is a player who can be used as a versatile piece to Weaver’s puzzle.  Using three safeties on the field is something Weaver does often, as shown in his time with the Baltimore Ravens.

With this three-high safety blueprint, the foundation can be set for a new story in Needham’s career. With proven performance in the slot, solid tackling skills, and good ball tracking, Needham has the attributes to make the conversion or simply add further versatility as a complement to Holland, Poyer and Campbell.

Needham has 25 career passes defended for the Dolphins in his 61 games since his rookie season. He has tallied 199 tackles, three sacks, and six interceptions, including a pick-six touchdown from a 2021 game against the Saints in Week 16.

The Dolphins did select a safety in the sixth round of the 2024 draft last month with California’s Patrick McMorris. Furthermore, a few veteran safeties are still on the free agency market, namely Justin Simmons.

Even if more talent is added to the safety group, the Dolphins' tweet of that picture could indicate more playing time for Needham under Weaver than last season under Fangio at the very least.

Going back again to 2022, prior to his Week 6 injury, Needham played 78% of the snaps. In 2021, he played 54% of the snaps, far from his 2023 number of just 12% with Fangio.

Could Weaver be the key to unlocking Needham at yet another area with the secondary? He was arguably a better slot than boundary cornerback, and perhaps this potential hybridization could unlock Miami's sixth-year defensive back as a consistent contributor.