The Rest Of The NFL Was Shortsighted With Eagles' Rookie Star

PHILADELPHIA - Jihaad Campbell ended up in Philadelphia because of the short-sighted decision-making around much of the NFL.

Considered by most to be a top-20 level prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, many teams were scared off from the gifted Alabama product due to March labrum surgery, something that had some questioning whether Campbell would have to start his career on the PUP list.

In hindsight, those doom-and-gloom projections were drastically off base, and Campbell was ready to go by the start of training camp on July 23, never mind Week 1, prompting an all-timer from Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio at the start of camp.

“It was good to see him out there,” a smiling Fangio said in July. “I wasn't expecting him out there. The trainers had been telling me all spring that it would be at some point in August when he'd be out there. So I'm learning that our trainers like to understate and overachieve so they look good.”

The upside of Campbell, a lengthy 6-foot-3, 235-pound hybrid who can morph between a stacked position to an extra edge defender or even inside rusher between the huddle breaking and the actual snap, is enormous.

Versatility Rules

Eagles first-round pick Jihaad Campbell on Aug. 4, 2025. | John McMullen/Eagles On SI

Through the Eagles’ 2-0 start, Campbell has played in 114 defensive snaps, 87 of them off the ball, 19 as an edge defender, 6 in the slot, and even 2 at cornerback.

The South Jersey has excelled as a run defender, run the pole in Tampa-2, rushed the passer, and created havoc in passing lanes with his unique length.

Over his first two games, Campbell is the Eagles’ top graded defender with 50 or more snaps and the 10th rated off-ball LB in the NFL while tallying 10 tackles, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble.

He’s been credited with 3 run stops, a pressure, and allowing just 1 completion on 3 targets for 4 yards in pass coverage for a 42.4 opponent passer rating.

“He played well,” Fangio said of Campbell on Tuesday days after a 20-17 win in Kansas City. “Like we were just saying, he’s going to continue to get better and better as he plays. There’s usually a good correlation. The more you practice, the more you play, the better you get.

“He’s going through that, and he's getting better every day. Really happy to have him, I love his work ethic and his attitude, and he's doing a good job for us. His length and speed is an added bonus.”

If you circle back to draft night, the rest of the NFL should be ashamed of itself for allowing a player like this to land at No. 31 and go to the reigning Super Bowl champions.

It’s not about the next 10 minutes, it's about the next 10 years. Even if Campbell didn’t beat his labrum surgery projections, the juice would have been worth he squeeze.

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