The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-0 this season after picking up wins over the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs.
Even though everything hasn't been smooth sailing in these wins, rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell has been a standout defender already. Through two games, he hasn't looked out of place and seems poised for a big year in 2025.
Jihaad Campbell Has Been Lights Out for Eagles
Campbell was selected with the 31st overall pick in April's draft. He underwent shoulder surgery earlier this year that kept him out of spring workouts. He was expected to return at some point during training camp, but was ready on Day 1 of practice in late July.
He obviously had some rough patches leading into the regular season, but that was to be expected. To be quite frank, it can take some time for rookies to get acclimated to the NFL's speed and physicality. Yet that hasn't been the case for Campbell.
With Nakobe Dean on IR due to a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, the Eagles leaned on Campbell early to be in the starting lineup next to Zack Baun. The Alabama product is second on the team in total snaps (114) at linebacker, and he's been a plus starter.
Campbell has 10 total tackles, one forced fumble, and one pass deflection. According to PFF, Campbell has an 83.6 overall grade (13th among 111 graded linebackers), 72.7 run-defense grade (31st among 111 graded linebackers), and an 88.3 coverage grade (7th among 111 graded linebackers).
The biggest area where he's been impressive is as a pass defender. The 21-year-old has the speed to fly across the field to keep up with running backs and tight ends with ease. He has a 42.4 passer rating allowed in coverage and hasn't had a missed tackle yet in 2025.
It's a small sample size for sure, but this is a great start for the rookie linebacker. General manager Howie Roseman hit the jackpot in the 2024 NFL draft by adding Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean to the secondary. And if Campbell can keep up this level of play, Roseman would have added another dynamic defender to an already young defense.
The Eagles have Baun, who was an All-Pro last season at linebacker. Campbell, being another potential stout defender in the middle of the field, would take this defense to another level. As the season goes on, we'll see if Campbell maintains this kind of production, but things look really good as of now.