Everything about the Philadelphia Eagles' defense in 2025 was mostly great for fans to watch, but one emerging star from the group might set the unit up for a long time.
Eagles' rookie first-round pick Jihaad Campbell ended up playing a massive role as a starter in the first half of the season, replacing the injured Nakobe Dean, and proved himself to be a consistent performer for them. Campbell certainly came through when the Eagles needed him most and was considered one of the best rookies in the NFL, earning a spot on the PFWA's All-Rookie team.
NFL.com's Kevin Patra shared his list of the unsung heroes from each NFC team. For the Eagles, he chose Campbell.
"As part of a talented Eagles defense, Campbell flew under the radar as a rookie, but the first-round pick was stellar, outside of a midseason lull during which he was the odd man out in a stacked linebacker rotation. Campbell finished the regular season with 76 tackles, 11 QB pressures, three passes defensed and a forced fumble. With an athletic profile, he excelled in pass defense, finishing as a top-five linebacker in coverage grade, per PFF. Heading into 2026, Vic Fangio should find a way to get Campbell, who played 63 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps, on the field more."
Jihaad Campbell stepped up in 2025 when the Eagles needed him the most
It was an impressive performance from a rookie linebacker jumping into the fire as a starter from Week 1. What made Campbell better than many expected was his ability to drop back into coverage and cover running backs and tight ends on passing plays.
Some were worried about Campbell transitioning from being more of an outside linebacker/edge rusher in college at Alabama to being an inside linebacker for the Eagles. He appeared to have handled that transition with perfection in his play.
Because of how good Campbell was in the regular season, the Eagles have some interesting decisions to make in the offseason with Dean a free agent. If Philly passes on Dean, Campbell would move into the starting lineup full-time alongside Zack Baun and save the team money, but if Dean re-signs with the Eagles, that might open an opportunity for Campbell to be more of an edge rusher again.
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No matter what the decision is for the Eagles, Campbell has given them plenty of good scenarios because of how well he played this season. He made a tough decision, a win-win, regardless of what they want to do.