When rookie Jihaad Campbell will practice fully for the first time with his teammates on the Philadelphia Eagles remains up in the air. So does his position with the NFL team.
The Eagles traded up one spot in the first round of the NFL Draft on April 24 to make certain they got the Alabama linebacker. But which linebacker spot will Campbell play for Philadelphia when he can play?
Offseason surgery on his left shoulder for a torn labrum kept Campbell from full participation in the Eagles’ offseason drills.
“That is for the coaches to decide, not me,” Campbell said in a Q&A for the NFL team’s official website. “I’m going to give it my all no matter how they decide to use me on the field. I feel like I’m a versatile player, and I know I’m going to learn every day from the guys on this defense. It is going to be hard work. I know that.
“I want to be the best player I can be, help the defense, help the Eagles win games. That’s the role I want to have. As far as a position, nah. Let’s just play football.”
Earlier this month, Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Campbell was being trained as an inside linebacker.
“Right now, he’s working at ILB because there’s a lot more to learn there,” Fangio said, “so that’s where we’ll start him. He won’t hit the practice field until sometime in August, so 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, so he’s working good and trying to pick it up.”
But Eagles coach Nick Sirianni didn’t rule out Campbell playing outside linebacker.
“Looking forward to being able to get our hands on him when he’s able to start practicing,” Sirianni said. “But he’s a good football player. We drafted him because he’s a really, really good football player and excited to have him in whatever role he’s going to execute. We know that he’s versatile and able to do multiple things.”
Philadelphia has Zack Braun, a first-team All-Pro selection, and Nakobe Dean returning at inside linebacker for the 2025 season – when Dean is healthy again. Dean recorded 128 tackles in 2024, but he sustained a torn patellar tendon in his left knee in Philadelphia’s playoff opener, and his return seems even further off than Campbell’s.
Nolan Smith is back after recording 6.5 sacks at outside linebacker in 2024. But Josh Sweat left the Eagles for the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent this offseason after recording 43 sacks in the past six seasons for Philadelphia.
The contenders to replace Sweat include free-agent signee Azeez Ojulari and Jalyx Hunt – if Campbell doesn’t end up at the strongside spot. Ojulari recorded 22 sacks over the past four seasons with the New York Giants. Hunt had 1.5 sacks in 241 defensive snaps as a rookie in 2024.
Campbell said he hoped his NFL position could be described as “winner.”
" A winner who does everything I can to help this football team,” Campbell said of his goal as a football player. “I want to be a relentless, exciting player who is physical and who is going to be there for the team. I love playing the game of football, and it’s been a dream of mine to play at this level. And to be here is just perfect for me.
“I know I have a lot of work I need to do, and I am far from the player I want to be. But I’m in the place that is going to help me reach my potential. I want to change games, win games, and feel what it’s like as a player in Philadelphia. I’ve been a fan, so I know what it feels like on that side. I want to know how it feels on this side.”
Campbell started his prep football career at Timber Creek Regional High School in Sicklerville, New Jersey, which is about 17 miles from the Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field.
Currently on summer break, Philadelphia returns for training camp on July 22. The Eagles kick off their three-game preseason schedule on Aug. 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals, then play in the opening game of the NFL’s 2025 campaign on Sept. 4 against the Dallas Cowboys.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OURNFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.