Eagles rookie Jihaad Campbell is more than just a player with elite traits. He’s a linebacker built for the modern game. Long, explosive, and violent in pursuit. Campbell brings a type of urgency that jumps off the screen. There’s a natural tempo to his game. Everything is fast, fluid, and on edge. He is showing off all of those traits at camp. And once he finds the balance, he is going to be electric!
Jihaad Campbell’s upside with the Eagles
Campbell projects as a prototype linebacker in Vic Fangio’s system. A read-and-react athlete who can clean up behind the chaos of a dominant defensive line. And that’s exactly what he will have in front of him in Philadelphia, with guys like Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo collapsing pockets and eating up space. Campbell will not need to take on guards head-up; he will be free to roam, diagnose, and destroy. That’s where he’s at his best. A run-and-hit predator who accelerates through contact and finishes with bad intentions.
What sets Jihaad apart from other linebackers his age is his spatial awareness and twitch. He has real sideline-to-sideline range, he’s not just a straight-line athlete. He’s sudden in short areas, nimble enough to carry tight ends up the seam, and explosive enough to close on swing passes and shallow crossers. You want him buzzing in passing lanes and chasing down outside zone, and he’s already shown he can do that against elite competition and at camp.
He was lined up on the edge and dropped back into coverage against Saquon Barkley. Hurts went to a different receiver. Later in practice, he broke up an intended pass for Ainias Smith by taking out the middle. Something he had shown in college, too.
His tape at Alabama flashed plenty of moments that translate the burst to beat the block, the length to disrupt passing lanes, and the body control to change direction without wasting steps. He’s not perfect yet. Campbell will occasionally overrun plays, be a little too aggressive when the players put the pads on at camp, but his instincts are still sharpening. That’s part of the projection. He’s only scratching the surface of what he can become. Which is to say, an All-Pro linebacker like his counterpart, Zack Baun.
Campbell is as impressed with the Eagles’ coaching staff as they are with him. He recently gave Eagles HC Nick Sirianni a shoutout.
“He’s a great coach, man. I don’t know any other coach that is doing this, but when I’m in the cold tub, the hot tub, guess what he’s doing? He in the cold tub, he in the sauna, getting his self right. Just being a rookie and coming into an organization like that and seeing my coach doing things that we’re doing too. It’s like dang! It shows the leadership. It shows, you know, why the standard is the standard. Tough, detail, and together and that’s what the Eagles are prided by.”
Jihaad hopes to impress his DC and be a starter in year one like first and second round picks, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, a year before him.
The wise wizard
If you’re trying to understand why Jihaad Campbell makes so much sense for Philadelphia, you have to start with Vic Fangio’s system. It’s not just about plug-and-play ability position. It’s about instincts and versatility. And that’s exactly where Campbell thrives.
Fangio’s defense is built on disguise, discipline, and spatial control. It’s a structure-first scheme. That means your linebackers have to be more than just thumpers; they need to be smart processors with range, burst, and the ability to hold up in zone. In short, they have to cover a lot of ground, think on their feet, and fly around the field at times. Jihaad Campbell was tailor-made for that task.
Passing the Torch
In a city that reveres physical, instinctive linebackers, from Byron Evans to Seth Joyner, to Jeremiah Trotter, to Zack Baun. Jihaad Campbell could be the next in line. He doesn’t just play the position; he attacks ball carriers with intent and speed. He’s got the skillset to do a little bit of everything. Blitz, cover, spy, and dominate downhill.
The Eagles wanted to inject youth, speed, and upside into their linebacker room. Jihaad Campbell checks every box. He wasn’t just a need; he’s a potential long-term solution. And with Fangio guiding the way, Jihaad could evolve into a Pro Bowl-caliber centerpiece. He’s got future Eagle fan favorite written all over him. Tough, athletic, and built to leave a mark.
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Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News
