The Philadelphia Eagles ended the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft with a splash. Trading up one spot with the Kansas City Chiefs, they secured a dynamic hometown talent in Jihaad Campbell — a versatile linebacker and edge rusher out of Alabama. Born just across the river in Erial, New Jersey, Campbell’s homecoming brings both high upside and immediate excitement to a defense undergoing major changes. With Howie Roseman calling him a “Top 10 player on our board,” it's clear the Eagles believe they landed a future cornerstone at No. 31.
At the end of the first round, the Eagles traded picks No. 32 & a 5th round pick to the Chiefs and moved up to No. 31. After the selection was made, Howie Roseman said
“We picked Jihaad Campbell, we made a trade up just to make sure we could get him. There were a lot of trades in the twenties & we wanted to make sure someone didn’t jump in front of us. We’re excited to have him, really excited to have him. It wasn’t really something we anticipated…This was a really easy pick. Really explosive player, he can play inside, he can be an edge rusher, we just really feel fortunate to bring him home back to Philly.”
Jihaad was born in Erial, New Jersey, and attended Timber Creek Regional High School, which is less than 30 minutes from Lincoln Financial Field. He returns close to home, seeking to strengthen a defense that recently lost Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Brandon Graham, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Campbell did have shoulder surgery in March to repair a torn labrum, but Howie Roseman and the front office do not appear concerned. “This was a Top 10 player on our board…we don’t have any long-term concerns with his health. We look at the draft as a long-term opportunity for our team. We have a lot of confidence that he is going to be here and play at a really high level for a long time, and so when you’re in a draft and you’re picking at the end of the first round & you have an opportunity to get a Top 10 player on your board, a guy who can get to the quarterback and affect the passing game, for us it was a no-brainer.”
It's worth mentioning that Jihaad Campbell's lone meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles was with their Outside Linebacker & Defensive End coach, not the Inside Linebacker coach. This could point to the Eagles making him more of an edge rusher, and still rotating in as an off ball linebacker. Either way, Campbell should see a lot of the field in his rookie season and produce a lot, as he is coming off a season where he recorded 117 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and one interception. He played 637 snaps as an off ball linebacker, compared to 112 on the defensive line. This is a player that can move around and excel wherever he is.
Overall, Campbell is the type of player who can be placed anywhere on the field and make plays. He can develop into a leader on the defensive side of the ball, and Philadelphia fans should be jumping for joy.
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Nick McClay
Nick McClay is a contributor to Philly Drinkers & Fox Sports The Gambler, providing sports betting insight across all sports. He focuses on NFL, NCAAF, & NCAAB, along with all Philadelphia sports teams. Nick graduated from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2022 with a degree in Business Management & Analytics
