Players chosen in the top couple of rounds of any given NFL draft aren't just expected to make the roster; they are expected to quickly become impact players for their new teams. This was the case for wide receiver Parris Campbell when the Indianapolis Colts took him in the second round of the 2019 draft.
But Campbell, due to a series of injuries early in his career, was unable to do much of anything to help Indy. In his first three years combined, he played in only 15 games and had a total of 34 catches. That is the kind of production a team might hope to get from a sixth-round choice, not someone in round two.
In Campbell's fourth season, he had a relative breakout year. He stayed healthy enough to play in every game in 2022 and had 63 catches for 623 yards. But the Colts had seen enough and didn't make a huge effort to re-sign Campbell in free agency.
Former Indianapolis Colts draft bust Parris Campbell might have come to the end of the line
In the two-plus seasons since then, the wide receiver has been on three teams. He did get a Super Bowl ring in 2024 while playing with the Philadelphia Eagles, but he only appeared in five games and had just six catches. This offseason, Campbell signed with the Dallas Cowboys.
That didn't last long. During training camp, the receiver sprained his MCL, and the Cowboys eventually placed Campbell on the season-ending injured reserve list. The odd part is that the kind of injury the receiver suffered doesn't normally warrant a player missing an entire year.
Dallas and the wide receiver worked out an injury agreement, and Dallas was able to rid itself of Campbell. The good part for the receiver is that once he is healthy enough to play again, he could sign with another team in 2025.
The question is whether any team would want to pay the 28-year-old. He has been oft-injured his entire career, and because of that, he hasn't been overly productive. Those 63 catches in 2022 are a bit over half of his six-year career total. In four of his six seasons, he had missed at least nine games.
He simply doesn't seem like a safe bet to have on a team. The shame is that the Indianapolis Colts could have chosen DK Metcalf instead of Parris Campbell. Metcalf has had three 1,000-plus yard seasons and made two Pro Bowls. He has had the kind of career Indy wishes Campbell had.