Too Aggressive? Better To Pull Back Than Push Forward With Eagles' Rookie

Jihaad Campbell's aggressive playing style had opened eyes at Eagles camp.

Eagles' defenders Josh Uche (0), Jihaad Campbell (30), and Dallas Gant (57) at practice on July 28, 2025 | John McMullen/Eagles On SI

PHILADELPHIA - It’s not something spoken in polite society, but professional football remains a violent sport, and outside of the public square, many in the industry will speak about needing guys who play with an edge to win.

Forget about playing with an edge, Eagles’ first-round pick Jihaad Campbell practices with an edge that has been as subtle as a bull in a china shop.

It’s a fine line and one that Campbell understands he’s navigating.

“I think the biggest thing really is just keep being mindful of practicing, knowing how to practice and stuff like that,” Campbell said. “I’m doing it one day at a time.”

The theme with Campbell has been that he needs to be mindful of his teammates, but the Eagles also don’t want to temper some of the nastiness the South Jersey native has played with.

“Just raw, uber athletic, can fly, aggressive,” was Saquon Barkley’s scouting report of Campbell. “Probably too aggressive in camp right now, to be honest. Gotta teach him to stay away from the guys in red and knowing when to tag off and when to take shots.

“But you’d rather him be more aggressive than not.”

Star tight end Dallas Goedert expressed similar sentiments after he was on the ground side of the physicality and taken to the ground by Campbell.

“I think his intensity is great,” said Goedert. “Obviously, the one he tackled me on a little bit, maybe that’s not a play we want in practice, when the back’s turned, a shot like that."

Goedert, though, said, "I want to pull people back, not push them forward."

“You don’t want someone who you gotta be like, ‘you gotta play harder, you gotta do this, you gotta do that.’ You gotta be like, ‘OK, you’re playing a little bit too hard. Let’s tone it down a little.’ He’s definitely got that in him," Goedert said. "He’s been doing a great job.”

Campbell has taken the constructive criticism well.

“I think sometimes I could definitely probably slow down and just have more body control,” the rookie admitted.

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