OTAs? Check. Minicamp? donezo. Now it's a 48-day waiting period for the New York Giants until training camp arrives in late July. That's right, we've officially made our way to the dog days of summer, which can only mean another deep dive into the Giants' 90-man offseason roster.
While high-profile starting storylines will steal the spotlight -- like quarterback Jaxson Dart struggling to grasp Matt Nagy's new offense, rookie wide receiver Malachi Fields looking like the perfect complement to Malik Nabers, or Deonte Banks surprisingly battling Greg Newsome for the CB2 spot -- the bottom of the roster determines a team's true depth.
That brings us to defensive back Elijah Campbell. His path to the 53-man is a classic battle of "is elite special teams play enough to overcome positional deficiencies" versus "but there are younger guys who are better defenders and can also play special teams." Let's talk about it.
Putting the "special" in special teams
Campbell is the ultimate specialist. He carved out a five-year stint with the Miami Dolphins strictly because of his willingness to do the dirty work on coverage units. He plays with an aggressive, downhill mentality and there isn’t much he won’t do when it comes to the third phase.
For a Giants team trying to completely revitalize its special teams unit under new head coach John Harbaugh -- a special teams guy through and through -- adding a guy with a lunch-pail mindset just makes perfect sense.
With teams still figuring out the new dynamic kickoff, Campbell’s ability to read plays on the fly is a major luxury. He instantly boosts Big Blue's coverage team floor and gives younger roster bubble guys a blueprint for how to stick.
Campbell's scoop
So here's the scoop... making the 53-man is going to be a major challenge for the 31-year-old. The G-Men gave the special teams ace a low-risk, one-year deal with just $50,000 guaranteed. If a younger player flashes upside this summer, New York can cut him with no financial penalty.
That's only part of the bad news.
The bigger issue is the safety room is already crowded. New York brought back Jason Pinnock after a year away with the 49ers and also added Ar'Darius Washington, joining fellow former Harbaugh/Baltimore safety Beau Brade. Raheem Layne is still on the team, Tyler Nubin is aiming to bounce back from a rough Year 2, and Jevón Holland has the other starting spot on lock.
Campbell has to prove he can actually play defense when called on. Sticking as a one-dimensional special teamer is tough if you don't offer adequate depth at your actual position. His interception in spring 11-on-11 drills was a great start, but after barely playing any defensive snaps last year, he has to prove his veteran floor outweighs the raw upside of younger guys like Brade or Layne.
Leave no league unturned
C
To say Campbell took the road less traveled to finally earn a shot in the NFL would be an understatement. After bouncing around from Iowa Western Community College to Northern Illinois to Northern Iowa, the safety went undrafted in 2018.
With no NFL opportunities, the St. Paul, MN native took his talents to the Birmingham Iron of the AAF (Alliance of American Football) in 2019.
To no one's surprise, that league cratered, and when it did, Campbell made his way to the DC Defenders of the XFL in 2020. His time with the Defenders was time well spent as it earned him a spot with the New York Jets, which he used as a launchpad for his six-year -- and counting -- professional career.
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