The Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie class came up huge last year as Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Jalyx Hunt all played an instrumental role in helping the team become one of the best defenses in the league and winning the Super Bowl.
With those young guys taking a huge step in their first year, it allowed the Eagles to feel okay with letting veterans go in free agency. However, Philadelphia can’t solely depend on the core of Mitchell, DeJean, and Hunt to duplicate what they did last year in 2025.
Therefore, the Eagles once again made it a point of emphasis to add more playmakers to the front seven and secondary in the 2025 NFL Draft. With their first two picks, Philly took former Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell and former Texas safety Andrew Mukuba.
Eagles Add More Firepower to Defensive Unit with Standout Linebacker
Many fans were surprised to see the Eagles take an off-ball linebacker in the first round, which is something the franchise hasn’t done since 1979 when they took Jerry Robinson.
However, Philadelphia couldn’t pass on the skills of Campbell, despite the injury concerns that come with him. There was a belief that Campbell could’ve been a top-20 selection in the mock drafts leading up to the NFL’s three-day event, but it didn’t pan out that way.
That said, Campbell has a chance to get on the field right away with veteran linebacker Nakobe Dean working his way back from a devastating knee injury (torn patellar tendon) that he suffered in the playoffs.
According to Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Dean wouldn’t be returning to the field “anytime soon.” If that’s the case, it opens up the door for the rookie to play alongside Zack Baun this season.
But the rookie linebacker is dealing with his own injury recovery involving a torn labrum in his shoulder. Kempski reported last month during minicamp that Campbell has been at practice, but “extremely limited.” It’s also expected that Campbell won’t see the practice field in full capacity until August.
The Eagles hope that’s the case because Campbell has a chance to be an instant playmaker as an off-ball backer in Fangio’s scheme.
The rookie defender also possesses outstanding explosiveness and acceleration. He’s a superb blitzer on the interior and can get pressure off the edge. He also has the athleticism to drop back into coverage, which could allow Fangio to do different things.
Nonetheless, the Eagles must be certain that the rookie is 100 percent healthy. Once they get that squared away, the sky is the limit for Campbell to be a gamechanger in the same vein as Mitchell, DeJean, and Hunt.