After losing Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo and missing out on Christian Elliss in free agency, linebacker is one of the Las Vegas Raiders’ biggest needs heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. While Elandon Roberts could temporarily fill one starting spot in Las Vegas, the Raiders could use a quality coverage linebacker like Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell.
Campbell burst onto the scene this past season, partially because of his 80.1 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus which ranked first among SEC linebackers. A big reason for that is the Alabama product racked up the most ‘coverage stops’ (30) in the country at his position, five more than any other backer.
Additionally, the 21-year-old has a fairly complete game, earning an 81.0 PFF run defense grade while recording an additional 35 ‘defensive stops’ against the run. The latter was tied for the fourth-most in the conference.
Given the Raiders’ need and Campbell’s pedigree as arguably the top linebacker in the draft class, let’s dive into the tape and see what he could bring to Las Vegas.
Something that stands out about Campbell in coverage is he’s good at reading the quarterback’s eyes and has the athleticism to move into passing lanes when playing zone coverage.
In the clip above, he’s the middle hook defender as the Crimson Tide run a rush three, drop eight Cover 3 coverage. But he isn’t just a robot who spot drops and covers grass, he eyes the quarterback and adjusts to what he’s seeing. So, when Carson Beck tries to hit the seam route, Campbell opens his hips and has the movement skills to go from the middle of the field to the hash mark and come down with the interception.
This is what happens when instincts meet athleticism.
Campbell’s athletic ability also allows him to be effective in man coverage against running backs and tight ends. Here, he’s going up against a tight end lined up as a slot receiver and initially opens to the sideline while staying on the other side of the hash mark to protect against an in-breaking route.
But the tight end breaks for an out route. Meanwhile, Campbell does an excellent job of planting his feet and changing directions to step in the passing lane. On top of that, he has the acceleration to drive on/undercut the route to get the PBU on fourth down. Granted, that all goes for naught with the defensive line jumping offsides.
This time, Campbell isn’t the primary or targeted defender in coverage, but he shows off some impressive lateral range against the screen.
He starts the rep as a standup linebacker on the line of scrimmage and at the bottom of the midfield logo. Post-snap, he quickly recognizes the play design and gets on his horse toward the sideline to make the tackle for a four- to five-yard gain and the third down stop.
So, the linebacker went from one side of the logo to the numbers to make this play. Also, keep in mind that the college numbers are wider than the NFL numbers to help paint the picture of how good his range is.
Here we’ll see a good example of how the Alabama product’s lateral movement skills help him make plays against the run.
He’s on the backside of the C-Y counter run from Michigan and initially steps downhill to fulfill his primary responsibility, covering the A-gap. When the running back commits to the left, Campbell uses his agility to scrape over the top of the offensive line and avoid the trash to make the tackle for a short gain from the other side of the formation.
Another impressive display of range and athleticism as a run defender.
Campbell also uses his athleticism well against inside runs by making offensive linemen miss. In this play, Vanderbilt calls a triple-option where the primary run call is inside zone. Meanwhile, Alabama has the defensive tackles and linebackers gap exchange where the defensive tackles slant wide while the linebackers pinch into the A-gaps.
So, Campbell attacks the playside A-gap while the center works up to the second level. Just before the point of contact, Campbell makes a subtle move and dips his shoulder to make the center whiff on the block before making the TFL.
Finally, Campbell can also contribute as a pass-rusher, logging 20 pressures and five sacks on 99 pass-rush snaps last season. He can blitz and get after the quarterback from his traditional off-ball linebacker position and occasionally line up on the edge like the play above.
Initially, Campbell uses a long-arm move to get some extension against the offensive tackle and prevent the offensive tackle from latching on with the outside hand. That helps Campbell win around the edge where he shows off some very impressive bend — especially for an off-ball linebacker — to make a 90-degree turn at the top of the rush and get a QB hit.
Granted, this definitely falls into the “coverage sack” (or hit in this instance) category as it takes Campbell a while to win. But the long-arm, bend and pass-rush motor are something to work with as a change of pace on third downs.
Taking an off-ball linebacker with the sixth overall pick wouldn’t be good positional value. However, the Raiders have a significant need at the position and Campbell is undoubtedly a first-round talent. This might be a scenario where a trade-back move to select the Alabama product makes more sense, but regardless of where he’s selected, Campbell would be a big boost to Las Vegas’ defense.