Dolphins claim Darius Hodge off waivers

The Miami Dolphins were awarded outside linebacker Darius Hodge off waivers from the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday. The move effectively fills the roster spot opened up when wide receiver DeVante Parker was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring issue.

Hodge was originally signed by the Bengals as an undrafted free agent in May out of Marshall. He made the team’s 53-man roster, appearing in four games (six defensive snaps and 13 special teams snaps) for the club before being waived on Thursday. He appeared in 31 games at Marshall, working his way to being a starter for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He tallied 15.5 career sacks.

Lance Zierlein wrote on NFL.com prior to the Draft, “Hodge will need to prove he can go from a hand-in-the-ground defender to a full-time rush linebacker on the next level. He’s a scrappy defender with good lower-body strength but his lack of bend makes it difficult to sit down and set a firm edge against the run. He has very little coverage experience, which might be a concern for 3-4 teams who are considering him. Hodge doesn’t have the physical tools to consistently win at the top of the rush, so he will need to further master his rush plan and hope that his motor can make him dangerous enough to find a home either as a late-rounder or free agent.”