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Philadelphia Eagles first-round linebacker Jihaad Campbell says he hopes his versatility can be an asset as a rookie.
The Philadelphia Eagles have proven year after year they aren’t afraid to take calculated risks on talented prospects who fall in the NFL Draft. This year, the franchise added arguably the top overall LB prospect in the class when they selected Jihaad Campbell out of Alabama at No. 31 overall.
Yet, Campbell’s injured shoulder makes him one of the biggest storylines facing the defending champs entering training camp.
Eagles LB Jihaad Campbell Named a Player to Monitor During Training Camp by ESPN
Training camps will open across the league over the next few weeks, which prompted Benjamin Solak of ESPN to drop some of his top storylines before all of the rookies and veterans take the field later this month.
One injury to monitor that has the attention of Solak is Jihaad Campbell’s shoulder injury, which gives the Alabama product a fairly tricky outlook entering his rookie year.
Solak wrote, “Another rookie, another shoulder injury. After his breakout season at Alabama, Campbell had offseason labrum surgery, and concerns surrounding that shoulder contributed to a small draft day to fall. The Eagles, ever the risk-takers in the NFL draft, snagged Campbell anyway at No. 31 overall.”
A shoulder injury for a linebacker could be pretty problematic for a player entering his first year in NFL, but does draw some parallels to a rookie from last season who had a profound impact on the Eagles’ defense on their way to a Super Bowl title.
Solak added, “The good news for the Eagles is that they went through a similar issue last year. Rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean, another highly versatile player drafted at No. 40 overall, missed much of training camp with a hamstring injury and only saw game action in Week 6. DeJean immediately elevated the Eagles’ defense to Super Bowl levels. It’s unreasonable to expect the same from Campbell, of course, but the staff has proven their ability to handle a rookie’s limited onboarding.”
Vic Fangio is one of the best defensive coordinators in the league, which makes him well equipped to manage Campbell’s workload to start his career while working through his rehabilitated shoulder.
What is the Outlook for Jihaad Campbell in 2025?
Campbell racked up over 100 total tackles for the Crimson Tide last year, but expecting that type of production from a rookie rehabbing through an injury could be a bit aggressive.
Solak touched on how Campbell’s versatility could make for an interesting learning curve for the talented rookie ahead of the 2025 season.
Solak wrote, “Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio revealed that the Eagles don’t expect Campbell to hit the practice field until August. This is doubly tricky for Campbell, who is a hybrid edge/LB, and will need to learn how to play on- and off-ball at the NFL level. Fangio and the Eagles would also benefit from seeing the rookie play multiple roles in camp, so they can determine where his best NFL future may be.”
Campbell could be tasked with an off-ball role if Nakobe Dean is still recovering from a knee injury sustained late last season to start the 2025 campaign. The injuries of both of these talented players does make Campbell’s outlook a bit difficult to determine at this moment.
Ultimately, the first order of business is for Campbell to get healthy enough to get back on the field. If he does that at some point in August, then Campbell could be a very valuable piece of this Eagles’ defense in 2025.
Derek Tate covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Heavy.com from 2022 to 2023. His bylines include Pro Football Network, The Athletic, Dr. Roto, Fantasy Focused and NewsNet. More about Derek Tate
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