Melvin Ingram III is an American football outside linebacker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). Ingram was born and raised in Hamlet, North Carolina. He attended Richmond Senior High School in Rockingham, North Carolina. As a senior linebacker, he recorded 87 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
He played college football for the University of South Carolina and earned All-American honours. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round with the 18th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.
He has also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs. On July 20, 2021, Ingram signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ingram was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs on November 2, 2021, in exchange for a sixth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. On May 18, 2022, the Miami Dolphins signed Ingram to a contract.
How good is Melvin Ingram?
Against the run or the pass, a rusher or in coverage, Melvin Ingram has impacted a ton of football games in his storied career. Over his 10 years in the league, Ingram has amassed 51.0 sacks, 74 tackles for loss and forced 14 fumbles.
With 128 career games played, Ingram shook off some injuries from early in his career to play in 99 of a possible 113 games since the start of the 2015 season. He’s logged 119 QB hits, 373 total tackles, intercepted three passes, defended 29 total passes and recovered seven fumbles.
Ingram showed off his explosiveness at the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine ranking in the 90th percentile or better among edge defenders all-time in 10- and 20-yard splits, and short shuttle and three-cone drills. He also checked in at the 80th percentile or better in both the 40-yard dash and vertical jump.
At age 33 and entering his 11th NFL season, Ingram continues to disrupt the plans of opposing offences. Upon his November arrival to the Chiefs at the trade deadline last season, Ingram logged 24 quarterback pressures in his first eight games with the team.
During that stretch, he never had fewer than two pressures in a game and recorded four pressures in four different games. He added nine more pressures and two sacks in three playoff games.
Since 2014, Ingram is eighth among edge rushers with 418 total QB pressures and 19th in sacks with 49.