Five Miami Dolphins who made the most of preseason

2. Sam Eguavoen / LB

If you had told someone prior to training camp that Sam Eguavoen would make the 53 man roster over former pro-bowl linebacker Benardrick McKinney, they would probably think you’re crazy. But as we know, the NFL can be surprising.

Eguavoen was undrafted coming out of Texas Tech in 2015 and chose to pursue a career in the Canadian Football League from 2016-2019. As a standout on the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Eguavoen garnered some NFL attention and eventually signed with Miami in 2019.

Linebacker isn’t Miami’s deepest position group, but Eguavoen still came into this offseason in a precarious position. He was one of the many free agent additions from Miami’s 2019 “tank” season who saw extended playing time, but Miami has come a long way since that 2019 season.

Eguavoen has a fairly versatile skill set and splits his time between off ball linebacker and edge defender. He isn’t particularly adept at run or pass defense, but is capable in both areas. This versatility is likely what secured him a roster spot.

No one will argue that Eguavoen is a better run defender than Benardrick McKinney, but his ability in pass coverage means he can be used on all three downs. The two down linebacker is going the way of the dodo.

Sam Eguavoen was a star for the Miami Dolphins this preseason, leading the team in sacks while registering them all in one game (against Atlanta). He has always been a plus athlete, but Eguavoen looked more explosive and comfortable this preseason.

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Again, Miami isn’t particularly deep at off ball linebacker or edge defender. That could mean Sam Eguavoen is in for an extended workload this upcoming season. You don’t see it very often, but this Canadian Football League standout may be in line for a breakout season at 28 years of age-stay tuned.