Eagles rookie is receiving first-team reps in camp

Viewed as an upper-crust talent in the first-round mix this year, Jihaad Campbell fell to No. 31 largely because of injury concerns. The rookie linebacker missed the Eagles’ offseason program, but his climb toward the expected starting role is underway.

Although Campbell was not expected to be at full speed yet, PHLY.com’s Zach Berman notes is already mixing into first-string work. The Eagles are listing the Alabama product as limited, but the Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski indicates little about his workload suggests a limited tag is necessary. That certainly represents good news for the Eagles, as Berman points to a Week 1 lineup configuration including Campbell alongside Zack Baun at linebacker.

Campbell having dealt with trouble involving both shoulders, undergoing surgery on one in March, scared some teams during the pre-draft process. But he avoided the active/NFI list to open Eagles camp. A dynamic player who only slid to linebacker (from the edge) due to the Crimson Tide being deeper there during his college career, Campbell has already come up as a player with an edge-rushing future.

For now, the Eagles have their top prospect stationed at off-ball linebacker. Campbell is competing with Jeremiah Trotter Jr. for the job alongside Baun, Kempski adds. While noting the second-generation Eagles LB has started off camp well, Campbell being ready to roll would seemingly make this a non-competition. Campbell’s rookie contract aligns with Baun’s $17M-per-year deal, giving the Eagles good balance once they have the rookie up to speed.

Shifting to the edge, the Eagles have two experienced options as apparent insurance policies behind hopeful starter Jalyx Hunt. Josh Sweat‘s free agency defection and Brandon Graham‘s retirement leave the Eagles with OLB questions, and they took fliers on supplementary rushers Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche. Thus far, the two vets are working almost exclusively with the second team, the Philly Voice’s Geoff Mosher adds, while Hunt plays opposite locked-in starter Nolan Smith.

Padded work in practice, along with the defending Super Bowl champs’ preseason games, could change this equation. For now, though, the Eagles are not mixing their low-cost FAs into first-string work much — to the point Kempski indicates Ojulari has not shown much early in camp. The four-year Giants contributor drew extensive trade interest before last year’s deadline but only fetched a one-year, $3M Eagles deal in free agency. Uche is on a one-year, $1.92M pact. A 2024 third-rounder, Hunt played 241 defensive snaps as a rookie; he tallied 1.5 sacks and three QB hits before matching each total during Philadelphia’s playoff slate.