Concerning All-Pro injury puts pressure on Jihaad Campbell in 1st NFL training camp

Jihaad Campbell has been turning heads at Eagles camp, but the pressure is ramping up with Zach Baun missing three straight practices.
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell (30)
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell (30) | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

When the Philadelphia Eagles used their 2025 first-round pick on Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, the comparisons were immediately made between him and 2024 All-Pro linebacker Zach Baun. Now, Campbell might find himself filling in for Baun much earlier than expected. 

Following his breakout season and three-year $51 million contract to remain in Philadelphia, Baun has found himself dealing with a back contusion in training camp, and on Friday, he missed his third-straight practice. That injury has given Campbell the opportunity for first-team reps at linebacker alongside Jermaine Trotter Jr., while former Georgia star Nakobe Dean continues his recovery from a patellar tendon tear last season.

Jihaad Campbell thrust into first-team role with Zach Baun and Nakobe Dean missing time

Campbell began his career at Alabama as a highly-touted edge rusher, but with a logjam at the position, he welcomed a move to off-ball linebacker. Last season, Campbell flourished in his new role, leading the Crimson Tide defense with 119 tackles and adding five sacks as his pass-rushing skillset remained a factor. 

It took Baun much deeper into his football life to finally make the same transition, but he may have taken to it even more quickly than his new teammate. In his fifth year in the NFL, and first with the Eagles and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Baun recorded 151 tackles, 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and one interception. 

He was named a First-Team All-Pro, and despite the late-season injury to Dean, his running-mate at inside linebacker, Baun was a key piece of Philly’s Super Bowl run. The plan was, and still is, for the Eagles to ease Campbell into a significant role alongside Baun and Dean, but if Baun’s injury persists and Campbell continues to thrive, he’ll be tough to keep off the field. 

The latest reports out of Eagles camp aren’t just that Campbell is playing first-team reps at linebacker, they’re also that he’s taking second-team snaps at edge rusher. Like it did at Alabama, positional versatility will help him find his way onto the field early in his career. 

The Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman were desperate to draft Campbell in the first round this spring, with reports coming out that Roseman nearly traded up as high as No. 21 before ultimately getting his man with the 31st pick after a trade to move from No. 32. Campbell’s early training camp performance, and the insurance policy he represents at two different positions, is exactly why.