Philadelphia Eagles share unfortunate injury update on 2025 first-round pick

Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio provided an update on 2025 first-round pick Jihaad Campbell, who is still working his way back from a shoulder injury and won’t be ready for on-field action until later this summer.

Despite the delay, Fangio seemed encouraged by the rookie linebacker's attitude and work ethic behind the scenes.

“He won’t hit the practice field until sometime in August,” Fangio said this week. “We’re doing all we can, he’s doing all he can in meetings. We’re doing all we can with him on the field. I take him to the side and do an individual drill with him that’s suited to what he can do right now. He’s working good and trying to pick it up.”

Campbell did not fully participate in Philly's rookie minicamp last month, but he did take part in some walk-through drills with the off-ball linebackers. That’s a noteworthy detail as we try to get a sense of how the Eagles plan to use him, especially since there was early speculation he might step in as a replacement for Josh Sweat. Still, it’s way too soon to lock in any role for him.

What we do know is that Campbell brings a ton of versatility, which is exactly what Vic Fangio looks for in his defense. That’s also a big reason why the Eagles were aggressive in trading up for him in the first round. At Alabama, Campbell did a bit of everything, like chasing down ball carriers, dropping into coverage, and pressuring quarterbacks.

Campbell, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound force from Alabama, entered the draft with top-15 buzz behind his name but ultimately slid to the Eagles at No. 31 overall, making him a steal for Philly. He was a game-wrecker in his final season at Alabama, leading the Crimson Tide with 117 tackles, including a team-best 54 solo stops. He put his dominance on full display and racked up 11.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, and a pick. His final monster performance at the college level earned him first-team All-SEC honors and semifinalist nods for both the Bednarik and Butkus Awards.