The Philadelphia Eagles’ pass rush was dealt a major blow on Monday as veteran Za’Darius Smith suddenly announced his retirement. It was the last thing the Eagles needed or wanted to hear, as the pass rush is hanging on by a thread through the first six weeks of the season.
The Eagles are already without Nolan Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo due to injury, which were notable losses. With Smith’s retirement, Philadelphia is left with Josh Uche, Azeez Ojulari, Jalyx Hunt, and Patrick Johnson off the edge, which is not ideal.
Therefore, if you’re the Eagles' defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, you hope Howie Roseman makes a trade ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline to give you another option. However, until then, Fangio might have to ask standout rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell to make a small sacrifice and play on the edge.
Jihaad Campbell May Need to Change Roles to Help Eagles’ Pass Rushing Woes
It’s an intriguing proposition that the Eagles' defensive coordinator might need to consider, even though Campbell has been outstanding this season, playing alongside Zach Baun. According to Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP, Campbell has been an edge in a true pass rush set 23 times this season, and has posted six pressures with a pass rush win rate of 28.6, per PFF.
As for his overall play at linebacker, the rookie defender has racked up 40 combined tackles, two pass deflections, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit, a forced fumble, and an interception. Campbell has also shone in pass coverage, which is not surprising to anyone, given his athleticism.
The former Alabama standout has produced a 61.1 completion percentage allowed on targets, a 79.4 pass rating when targeted, and has only given up one touchdown. Coming out of college, fans and draft analysts alike wondered what Campbell’s role would be at the next level.
The 21-year-old linebacker has fantastic explosiveness and acceleration, which you need to play on the edge. He’s also a talented blitzer, which Fangio has used to his advantage, bringing him on a blitz 22 times this season (second-most on the team behind Baun).
Now, the reason why Fangio has to utilize Campbell and Baun as blitzers is that the pass rush is not getting pressure and bringing down the quarterback. Campbell playing the edge was a topic of conversation in the summer, and Fangio reportedly shot it down when asked.
Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice said in a mailbag earlier this month that the rookie didn’t look good as an edge rusher in 1-on-1 drills against offensive tackles in training camp. While that is something to be cognizant of, the Eagles are in a tough spot at the edge, where they cannot be picky about who plays where.
Do you risk Campbell getting worn down playing the edge, as he’ll have to face 300-plus-pound offensive linemen? Yes. And not to mention, you’re losing another playmaker at the linebacker spot.
However, Fangio does have Nakobe Dean at his disposal, whom he can plug into Campbell’s spot next to Baun when the rookie is being utilized as a pass rusher.
The Eagles cannot put all their eggs into the basket of the guys currently playing on the edge. They might have to make a drastic decision, such as putting Campbell at pass rusher in some situations, until they find another way to upgrade the position.