Analyst Explains Eagles Linebacker Draft Philosophy

The rest of the NFL world was stunned when Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell somehow fell to the Philadelphia Eagles with the 31st pick in the 2025 draft. 

There's a clear reason why he fell, of course. He has shoulder and knee injuries that make him a gamble for any team in the league. But the mere fact that he fell to the Eagles in the first place shocked the league. 

Here was another situation where the Eagles drafted a top player who fell into their laps. 

There was another reason why it shocked the league, though. Campbell became the first linebacker drafted in the first round by the team since 1979. 

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said that the break from precedent showed Campbell was too talented to pass up.

"General manager Howie Roseman broke from precedent by drafting a true off-ball linebacker in the first round," Fowler said. "Philadelphia hadn't done so since Jerry Robinson in 1979, but Jihaad Campbell was too good to pass up. Several teams saw him as a top-10 talent but had concerns about his durability after multiple injuries in college. The selection of Campbell shows the Eagles are trusting defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and his staff to develop young players at all positions."

As always, no one really knows how players are going to do with a new team. Especially one with an injury history like Campbell's. 

But if the Eagles can get him to hit the field early in his career, he might just be the latest steal that the Eagles jump on that works out for them in the future.