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From pudgy to playmaker: How Nik Needham became a key piece of Dolphins’ defensive success in 2020

Miami Dolphins safety Eric Rowe remembers when Nik Needham was a pudgy, undrafted rookie making plays despite his weight during the first training camp of the Brian Flores era.

Needham, discovered by Dolphins defensive coordinator Josh Boyer out of Texas-El Paso, came to his first training camp weighing about 205 pounds with 10 or 11 percent body fat.

For a defensive back, one who started training as a cover cornerback, Needham’s weight was not ideal. He was even one of a few players who failed a conditioning test, becoming an inside joke among his teammates before he matured into form.