PHILADELPHIA —Second-year Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell possesses great talent.
He moves better in space than most NFL linebackers. He’s strong, fast and powerful.
Campbell has the tools to become a dominant player, but he won’t reach his full potential until he masters the other components of playing linebacker.
“I know I have the skill set and the instincts, too,” Campbell said Wednesday.
“So it’s more so like, if you see it, just go. Sometimes it might have to be patience or whatever, but more so that when you see it, go, don’t overthink it, don’t stutter, don’t do nothing that will bring me down in that circumstance. It’s more so just play ball. Execute and play ball. Like I know how to play ball.”
“He’s coming.
He’s coming along,” Fangio told reporters on Thursday. “Not where we want him to be as a final product, but him missing the last two offseasons and being with the injuries stuff has set him back some, but he’s getting better and better every day.”
Fangio coached some of the best linebackers in the NFL history at different points of his career, including former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, two Hall of Famers.
In part, that’s why he’s so hard on Campbell.
“He’s good in the open field,” Fangio said about Campbell’s strengths. “He’s athletic. He can run, but I feel good about him. I don’t want to give the wrong impression here, but I got spoiled early in my career. Do you guys ever hear of the ‘Dome Patrol?’
The bar is high. The bar is high for me.”
Campbell, whom the Eagles drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, was soft-benched for
Nakobe Dean about halfway through the 2025 season.
He missed the 2026 organized team activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp after getting shoulder surgery this offseason. He has undergone surgeries on both shoulders in the last two years.
“Of course, nobody thinks that the journey of a football player is always going to be rainbows, cupcakes and sunshine,” Campbell said.
“You’re going to have some dark days, you’re going to have some dog days. You’re going to have to just push through and always persevere and always just overcome anything that comes your way. At the end of the day, I’m just where my feet are at. We got a game. I’m coming on Sunday. Just focusing on this day. We finish practice, go home, watch film, come back the next day sharp.”
With Dean’s departure, Campbell regained his starting position.
“Just that confidence,” Campbell said about where he feels he’s improved the most since his rookie season. “Executing and knowing like, ‘Okay, this is about to be that play.’ Not thinking, ‘Okay, well this might be the play or we’re going to see these looks.’ Just eye discipline, confidence, doing the things that I have to do preparation-wise to compete and play on Sundays, Thursdays and Mondays.”
Campbell said he has been asking a ton of questions to Eagles linebackers coach Bobby King during meetings. He knows that he must improve.
“When you embrace it, you grow,” Campbell said.
“That’s what I’ve just been doing, man.”
During the first half of his rookie season, Campbell flashed tremendous upside, especially in coverage against tight ends. He finished with 80 tackles, snagged one interception and forced a fumble.
Campbell’s role, production and responsibilities on defense will increase during his second season. With more consistency, he could become one of the NFL’s best young defensive players.
“Just be the best version of myself every day,” Campbell said about his goals this year.
“If you get caught up in the, ‘Oh, I should have or I could have or like I have to play like this or do that,’ I think it kind of goes into like a roadblock so much more.”
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