There's a lot of excitement about Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell and what kind of player he could end up being for him, but he's got something to prove to his defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio.
Campbell was a first-round pick of the Eagles last year and was quickly thrust into the starting lineup to replace Nakobe Dean after his early-season injury. It ended up being a successful rookie campaign for Campbell, racking up 80 tackles, three pass deflections, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 17 games. Campbell was also named to the Pro Football Writers of America's All-Rookie team.
Even with a solid start to his NFL career, Campbell still has a lot of work to do before becoming the linebacker the Eagles hope he will be. Fangio made sure to make that clear to the media.
Vic Fangio is setting Eagles' Jihaad Campbell straight, while giving him some love
During his press conference, Fangio addressed Campbell's development, saying he is "not where we want him to be as a final product," but is "getting better and better every day" with the extra reps he needed after missing the last two offseasons. Fangio later clarified his thoughts on Campbell.
"He's good in the open field, he's athletic, he can run," Fangio said via Bleeding Green Nation's Brandon Lee Gowton. "But I feel good about him. I don't want to give the wrong impression here. I got spoiled earlier in my career, you ever hear of the Dome Patrol? So, the bar is high for me."
Campbell is officially taking over for Dean, as he left in free agency for the Las Vegas Raiders. That leaves the door open for Campbell to officially show that he can be a full-time starter in the league.
What's interesting is how the Eagles handle the linebacker position. Zack Baun is the top player at the position, but Jeremiah Trotter Jr.'s training camp and preseason performance made it tougher for the Eagles to exclude him from the rotation. There's a strong chance Campbell and Trotter will rotate in and out.
Campbell has the athletic ability to be a great linebacker in the NFL. Heck, he could probably play edge rusher if the Eagles really developed him at it, but Fangio officially shut that experiment down this offseason.
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This is going to be a fun season for Campbell, as he enters Year 2 of his career. Fangio just hopes that he can reach his full potential early on in 2026.
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