Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: CB James Campbell - Special Teams Ace?

A relative novice at the cornerback position after beginning his college career as a receiver at Montana State, James Campbell will have to make a name for himself on kick and punt coverage teams to capitalize on his opportunity with the Seattle Seahawks.

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jun 17, 2023 10:20 PM EDT

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason activities wrapping up league-wide, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than two months, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2023 campaign.

James Campbell, Cornerback

Height/Weight: 5-11, 183 pounds

2022 Stats*: 34 tackles, two interceptions, three pass breakups

*College stats at Montana State

A dynamic gadget weapon at Palatka High School in Florida, Campbell earned First-Team All-State honors as a senior, but his lack of size and questions about position led to him being lightly recruited before committing to Montana State. Transitioning to receiver at the FCS level, he primarily played special teams as a true freshman and finished second on the Bobcats with six tackles on kick and punt coverage despite only playing in six games due to injury.

After not making a catch as a sophomore and not playing at all in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, Campbell moved to defense as a full-time cornerback in 2021, producing 20 tackles and two pass breakups in 10 games. Becoming more comfortable at his new position as a senior last season, he started all 14 games for the Bobcats on the way to an All-Big Sky championship. Going undrafted, he signed with the Seahawks as a priority free agent in April.

Best-Case Scenario: Possessing the athletic traits to make the jump from FCS competition to the NFL, Campbell shines in limited snaps at cornerback during the preseason and jumps off the tape on kick coverage teams, helping him secure a practice squad spot with the Seahawks after initially being waived during final roster cuts.

Worst-Case Scenario: Still quite raw at a position he only played for parts of two seasons at Montana State, Campbell only sees a handful of defensive snaps in exhibition games for Seattle and with other undrafted defensive backs making a stronger impression, he hits the waiver wire after the second preseason game.

What to Expect in 2023: The Seahawks have long coveted top-tier athletes and while Campbell doesn't enter the league with much experience playing cornerback, his speed, quickness, and explosiveness should allow him to make up ground quickly if he can take to coaching. Those attributes will be especially valuable for him if he finds a way to throw himself into the kick and punt return competition along with contributing as he did for the Bobcats as a tackler on coverage units.

But with Seattle having a surplus of talented cornerbacks on the roster, Campbell likely won't be in the running for a roster spot even if he does stand out on special teams. Given his athleticism and potential upside with proper coaching, however, he may be one of the more intriguing developmental prospects from the team's latest undrafted class, which creates a path for him to stay onboard as a practice squad player in the Pacific Northwest or elsewhere this fall.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles