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The list of former NFL players joining the revamped United States Football League (USFL) is starting to grow after the league held its draft on Tuesday, February 22.
Many early picks include familiar faces from the NFC West in recent years, such as former San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Davin Bellamy, who was among the league’s early picks to the New Orleans Breakers. And the first cornerback taken in the 10th round of the returning league is also a former member of the 49ers and Arizona Cardinals.
Christian Campbell, whose last NFL stop was in the Bay Area in 2019, was the first cornerback taken in round 10 of the USFL draft, where he will suit up for the Tampa Bay Bandits.
His length, size and ability to play in a press coverage scheme originally got him drafted by Arizona in the sixth round (No. 182 overall) of the 2018 NFL draft.
Campbell Once Lauded for his ‘NFL-Ready Size’
Campbell entered the league with 4 career interceptions, 5 tackles for a loss and 37 total games with Penn State.
When Campbell first entered the NFL draft, the first intangible mentioned in his Bleacher Report NFL scouting profile was his stature.
“NFL-ready size at 6’1″, 195 pounds with room to put more weight on,” was the first positive written by B/R’s Matt Miller on April 28, 2018.
Campbell was then described as a press coverage cornerback during his Penn State Nittany Lion days. He also had a strip fumble against Michigan on a cornerback blitz.
Campbell, though, had his flaws.
Miller considered him a tad on the thin side when he entered the league, saying he needed an extra 10 pounds to his frame. He also struggled with his ability to flip his hips with fluidity — which got decent route-runners to win with ease when covered by him. His man coverage skills was also considered “poor” by the draft scout.
Dan Hanzus of the NFL Network was a fan of the selection, saying “I like the player. Long arms. Flashes good short-area recovery. This Campbell kid uses length to punch and stabilize himself when beaten by inside release.”
Campbell’s Time in the NFL
Before getting drafted, Campbell had a previous encounter with the 49ers.
Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Campbell was on a “top 30 visit” with the ‘Niners, with Rapoport adding that Campbell was “the type of long CB they like.”
Campbell signed his NFL deal on May 11, 2018.
However, his stay in the desert became truncated, as the Cards waived him on September 1, 2018.
He later managed to find his way to the Bayou, as he signed on with the New Orleans Saints practice squad on October 17 of that same year. He was then one of six Saints who signed a reserves/futures contract with the franchise on January 21, 2019. The Saints, however, placed him on injured reserve and was later waived on July 30, 2019.
But on August 27, nearly a month after his release from the Saints, Campbell headed over to the team he previously visited before becoming a Cardinal.
Campbell’s 49ers stay was short-lived though — only three days as he was among nine roster cuts.
Campbell eventually crossed the northern border and made his way to the Canadian Football League on March 9, 2020 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The threat of coronavirus, however, canceled the entire season. Campbell opted back into his contract on January 20, 2021.
Campbell’s team was among the original USFL franchises when the league had its original debut in 1983. The Bandits are likely best known for being co-owned by actor Burt Reynolds, who served as minority owner.
Former Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley, who shares a Cardinals connection with Campbell as Arizona’s former offensive coordinator from 2007-2008, is the Bandits’ new head coach and general manager.
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