The Philadelphia Eagles watched Christian Parker leave town this week to become the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. That's a tough loss for the Eagles, as he played a big role in the development of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
The Eagles will find a way to navigate this loss, but there are several Philly free agents who could join Parker in Dallas. Linebacker Nakobe Dean is a name that has been floated as an option for Dallas due to their need at LB and his impending free agency.
And considering that Dean's projected market value is listed at $15.5 million per Spotrac, the Eagles could very well let him walk, which would boost the stock around linebacker Jihaad Campbell.
Jihaad Campbell’s Could Be Name to Watch for Eagles
The Eagles selected Campbell with the 31st overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, and he provided them with a steady difference-maker at the second level to begin the 2025 campaign. Dean was rehabbing his way back from a torn patellar tendon, and Campbell was inserted into the starting lineup for the first seven weeks of the season.
In those outings, he posted 43 total tackles and displayed that the NFL wasn't too much for him. Campbell ended the season with 80 total tackles, 2 TFLs, and three pass breakups across 17 games. In addition, the Alabama product finished with a 76.2 overall grade (13th among 88 graded LBs), a 69.8 run-defense grade (36th among 88 graded LBs), and a 78.6 coverage grade (5th among 88 graded LBs) on Pro Football Focus.
His playing time got slashed when Dean returned to the lineup, playing in less than 50% of the defensive snaps from Weeks 8 through 15. It was clear that Vic Fangio left comfortable playing him over Campbell, but it had to do more with experience in the scheme.
With Dean hitting free agency and expected to land a big day, his days in Philly could be coming to an end. Following the loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Dean cast some doubt on his future. Now with Parker in Dallas, and speculation already starting about Dean potentially joining him, Campbell is someone who would reap those benefits.
The Eagles would roll into 2026 with Campbell and Zack Baun as their starting duo at linebacker. Parker will want to bring some Philadelphia defenders with him to the Cowboys, and Dean will likely be at the top of the list.
Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but Campbell is a defender Philly has waiting in the wings to take over. The likelihood that Dean bolts town increased with this Parker news, and that would benefit Campbell.