We finally have our answers as to what the Philadelphia Eagles plan to do in Round 1 and whether or not Howie Roseman would be aggressive. We knew Philly's vice president/general manager was more likely to trade up than back. The lights shone brightly at historic Lambeau Field, and the Birds again put on a night one show.
Okay, maybe that's a tad dramatic. They traded up one spot to climb ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs and offered one of their fifth-round choices to sweeten the pot some. Birds fans are going to love who they wound up with! And, how about this? Philly went with the unexpected move.
For the first time since 1979, they selected an off-ball linebacker in Round 1. No disrespect is intended to Nolan Smith. We don't care what you say. We still see him as an edge rusher wearing the 'linebacker' title.
Eagles select Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell with the 31st overall selection.
The choice is Jihaad Campbell! He joins the nest by way of the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Birds were reportedly looking to swap picks with the Los Angeles Chargers to trade up and select him at 22.
That didn't work out, and Philly's patience paid off. They got the guy they wanted and did so nine spots later.
He's a 2024 First-Team All-SEC nod. His stat line reads as follows: 35 career games, 184 tackles (including 117 last season), 5.5 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and five pass breakups.
Campbell is expected to join Nakobe Dean, Zack Baun, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. as part of Philly's linebacker rotation. He helps fill a void left by the departing Oren Burks, who left during the NFL's free agency frenzy.
The most recent Super Bowl wasn't even three months ago yet, but we've witnessed a lot of action since the confetti fell: a parade, another NFL Combine, Pro Days, the annual league meeting, Top 30 Visits, and Phase 1 of the offseason workout schedule.
The Birds now have six picks remaining: One in Rounds 2, 3, and 4 (the 64th, 96th, and 134th overall). They also still own three picks in Round 5.
The party's just starting. We have two more days' worth of selections ahead of us. This is already shaping up to be an exciting Eagles draft class, even though we've only seen one pick made.