There is no doubt about it, the Philadelphia Eagles made the right choice selecting Jihaad Campbell with the No. 31 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 National Football League Draft.
The Eagles were praised for the selection almost immediately, there were some injury question marks. That's why he dropped in the draft. He was considered to be among the top defensive prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class. For example, Pro Football Focus had him at No. 13 overall, but the seventh-highest-ranked defensive player in the draft class.
"No. 13. LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama," Pro Football Focus said. "Campbell has the ideal build and athletic ability to play any linebacker spot, but he projects best to a Mike or Sam LB in 4-3 schemes or a Mike/EDGE in a 3-4. He must continue to develop anticipation and strength, but he has the mold of an All-Pro player."
The Eagles weren't concerned about the injury chatter and he has rewarded Philadelphia well so far. He has started all four games for the Eagles to begin the season and has one interception, two passes defended, one forced fumble, 22 total tackles, and one quarterback hit. Quarterbacks also only have a 53.8 percent completion percentage when throwing in his direction. All of this is to say that Campbell is a star and isn't playing like a rookie.
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon shared a story grading each of the first-round rookies this season so far and Campbell was the only one to get an "A+."
"No. 31. Philadelphia Eagles LB Jihaad Campbell: A+," Gagnon said. "Incredibly, Campbell has already become one of the best linebackers in the game. He's stood out in pretty much every facet as an every-down guy from Day 1, and he's flashed his playmaking ability with two critical takeaways already."
This is just an example of the perception around Campbell across the NFL right now. He's a star and people around the league are starting to really take notice. Campbell's only four games into his NFL career, but he looks like the team's next homegrown superstar. The roster is full of them with guys like Lane Johnson, Jalen Hurts, Jalen Carter, DeVonta Smith, and many more. Campbell is going to add his name to that list.
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