The Detroit Lions will be a team on a mission during the 2026 NFL season. Detroit shockingly missed the playoffs in 2025, which should have the entire organization extra motivated this fall. Perhaps the Lions can get some better play from their defense, especially considering they have one of the NFL's best off-ball linebackers.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler published the site's annual list of the top 10 linebackers in the NFL on Tuesday. To compile the rankings, ESPN sources feedback from NFL executives, coaches, and scouts.
Lions linebacker Jack Campbell came in fifth place on ESPN's top 10 list. He was listed as an honorable mention in 2025, but now jumps all the way into the middle of the pack.
Campbell received mixed reviews from NFL sources. Some voted him as the best linebacker in the NFL, while others had him completely unranked.
“Detroit knew what it was doing when it drafted Campbell 18th overall in 2023,” Fowler wrote. “He has drawn physical comparisons to Brian Urlacher with his 6-foot-4, 256-pound frame, he can move well, and he has length to close windows in the passing or running game.”
The Lions clearly believe that Campbell has some elite upside, too. After all, Detroit signed him to a four-year, $81 million extension back in May.
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Campbell was all over the field during the 2025 season. He logged 176 total tackles with five sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four passes defensed. That is some incredible production for an off-ball linebacker.
The 25-year-old linebacker has all of the skills needed to become an elite linebacker in the NFL. At this point, the sky looks like the limit for Campbell.
“Excellent football IQ, tough, physical, plays downhill, instinctive, aware, leader — throwback football player,” a veteran AFC assistant coach said.
Campbell will have even more responsibilities this fall now that Alex Anzalone left for Tampa Bay.
It will be exciting to see how Detroit's defense looks during the early days of training camp later this month.
The Detroit Lions will be a team on a mission during the 2026 NFL season. Detroit shockingly missed the playoffs in 2025, which should have the entire organization extra motivated this fall. Perhaps the Lions can get some better play from their defense, especially considering they have one of the NFL's best off-ball linebackers.