Lions LB Jack Campbell: No. 6 Player Expected To Be Next Leader of Defense

The Detroit Lions have a leadership void to fill after an offseason departure, and they believe they have the man for the job.

With Alex Anzalone departing in free agency, the Lions lost a multi-year starter and defensive captain. While that loss wil be felt, they have a very capable leader and defensive anchor in linebacker Jack Campbell.

Detroit feels so strongly about Campbell, in fact, that they have already put pen to paper on a contract extension to keep Campbell with the team through the 2030 season.

Campbell's contract extension is well-deserved, as his career ascent culminated in a First Team All-Pro selection for his performance in the 2025 season.

Now, Campbell is set to take a step up as a leader in his fourth NFL season. Because he's expected to anchor the defense and potentially earn captain status, Campbell comes in as the team's No. 6 most important player of the 2026 season.

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Why Campbell is so important

Campbell was a first-round pick of the team's in 2023, and while he sputtered somewhat out of the gate, has quickly asserted himself as a core part of the defense. He didn't immediately earn a starting job, but wound up playing a big role late in his rookie season.

Over the next two years of his career, he has continued to improve gradually. This culminated in his standout 2025 season, where he set career-high statistical numbers across the board and earned First Team All-Pro honors.

This offseason, the Lions lost his counterpart as Anzalone signed a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As a result, the Lions will be looking to Campbell as a leader of the defense in addition to the expectation that he will perform at a high level.

Because the Lions committed to Campbell with a hefty contract extension, he now carries even higher expectations heading into his fourth NFL season.

Campbell's strengths and weaknesses

Campbell has the ideal frame for an NFL middle linebacker, as his height allows him to impact passing lanes over the middle as well as handle the run game. He has been much more adept against the run, where he tallied nine tackles for loss last year.

The Iowa product has also seemed to master the punch out, as he forced three fumbles and recovered two last season. Takeaways have been a big part of Detroit's defense during the Dan Campbell era, and the linebacker has taken to that naturally.

Last year, Campbell recorded the lowest missed tackle rate of his career at 7.1 percent, and notched an elite 93.0 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus.

Campbell still has some room to grow in pass coverage. He hasn't had a season where he held opponents below a passer rating of 100 on passes in his direction. As a result, becoming even more of a threat in pass coverage is the natural next step for him.

What happens if Campbell gets hurt?

If Campbell were to suffer an injury, it would be a massive hit to the team's defensive depth. He is expected to be a major contributor to Detroit's scheme, and as the middle linebacker he is in many ways the engine of the defense.

Detroit has Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez both returning at the position around him, but in the team's 4-3 base defense of years past both players would be playing around him. Coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has hinted at some schematic changes, and it remains to be seen what that means for the team's personnel.

Additionally, the Lions have some intriguing additions in Damone Clark and Jimmy Rolder. Clark, a veteran, doesn't have much experience as a middle linebacker. If Campbell were to go down, he could play the WILL or SAM and slide either Barnes or Rodriguez to the MIKE.

Rolder is also a candidate to play a big role in his first NFL season. He could be the most likely option to play the MIKE position should Campbell go down, with Clark competing to be the WILL along with Trevor Nowaske.

Why we ranked Campbell here

Campbell has earned his place amidst the team's group of core players, as evidenced by the contract extension he signed this offseason. He's an All-Pro level talent, and in addition to his talent he can be the answer to the leadership void left by Anzalone's departure.

The linebacker has been consistent for Detroit throughout his career, and is expected to remain that way for the foreseeable future. Campbell notched All-Pro honors for the first time in his career, and the businesslike approach he takes to his craft indicates that more accolades may be on the horizon.

In 2026, Campbell has the ability to prove his value to the organization in several ways. As a player, he'll be counted on to fuel the defense, and as a leader he could be tabbed for a captain role heading into his fourth season.

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