[4] He was waived on August 31 as part of final roster cuts but was resigned to the team's practice squad the following day.
[5] Needham was promoted to the active roster on October 12 and made his NFL debut the next day against the Washington Redskins, starting at cornerback and finishing the game with one tackle and a pass defended.
[6][7] In Week 9 against the New York Jets, Needham recorded a team-high 9 tackles and sacked Sam Darnold once in the 26–18 win.
[8] Needham recorded his first career interception on November 10 against the Indianapolis Colts, picking off a pass from Brian Hoyer in the fourth quarter of the Dolphins' 16-12 win.
[10] He finished his rookie season with 54 tackles, a sack, one forced fumble and a team-high 11 passes defended with two interceptions in 12 games played.