First-round draft pick Jihaad Campbell couldn’t practice with his new teammates on the Philadelphia Eagles until training camp. Offseason surgery on his left shoulder for a torn labrum kept the former Alabama standout from full participation in the Eagles’ offseason drills.
But now that the linebacker has gotten on the field, Philadelphia is seeing what it got with the 31st pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley has been impressed.
“Super raw, like freaky athletic,” Barkley said on Monday. “I think he’s going to be a problem, a real big problem for a lot of guys in the league who have to go against him and block him. He’s kind of built like (Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl outside linebacker) Micah (Parsons) a little bit. I’ve known Micah for a long time, so I feel like as he grows and learns the game a little bit more, you’re going to be able to put him in different spots.
“But just raw, like uber-athletic, can fly, aggressive – probably too aggressive in camp right now, to be honest. Got to teach him to stay away from the guys in red and knowing when to tag off and take shots. But you’d rather him be more aggressive than not.
“It’s fun to get to go against him every single day. And he asks a lot of questions, whether it’s asking (All-Pro linebacker) Zack (Baun) and those guys, or I might have made a move that worked on him, like coming up to me and seeing what I saw, so really excited for him.”
Barkley isn’t the only one excited about Campbell reaching the field after an offseason of watching his teammates and doing rehabilitation work.
“Just very excited to be out there with the group that we have this year,” Campbell said, “and I’m just really excited to just get to work each and every day. …
“I’m just blessed that I’m healthy right now and, like I said, man, just I’m really happy to be out here on the field and flying around with our defense, being around the offensive guys and just learning and soaking in a lot of knowledge, as much as I can so I can apply it every time I get on the field.”
Campbell said he tried to stay engaged during the offseason program so he would be ready when he received medical clearance.
“Just being where my feet are, right?” Campbell said of his offseason. “I’m not out there with the guys, but I can take mental reps as much as I can. Just practicing like a pro mentally, so physically and mentally when I get out on the field I gradually know what I’m doing day-by-day. …
“I think just being a linebacker in general, you always got to be a lifelong learner at any given aspect honestly. And with me and my process, everything was really mental. It’s still mental. Just keeping my mental and my eyes in the playbook helps me very well when I come out on the field and perform.”
Philadelphia has Baun, a first-team All-Pro selection in 2024, 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 date is yet to be determined.
Campbell said he’s getting work at both inside-linebacker spots.
“It’s a fine line that we’re trying to manage,” Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said about teaching the rookie two positions. “We’re probably a little guilty of putting too much on his plate, but the time is coming. The days are disappearing.”
A former head coach of the Denver Broncos, Fangio is approaching his 22nd season as an NFL defensive coordinator.
“It’s been great,” Campbell said of working with Fangio. “You know, he doesn’t do extra talking. He gets straight to the point, and he expects you to understand it and to apply it on the field.”
The Eagles start their three-game preseason schedule against the Cincinnati Bengals at 6:30 p.m. CDT Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.
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