The Eagles GM doesn’t want to put the incoming rookie into a box, and talked about his versatility as both an off-ball LB and an edge rusher.
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell with the 31st overall pick on Thursday night, and Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni spoke to reporters shortly afterward about why they were so excited about landing a top guy on their board.
Roseman opened by saying that they traded up one spot just to ensure they were able to get their guy, especially knowing that other teams had started trading up back into the first round.
“Really excited to have him. Wasn’t really something we anticipated. Understand that some of the other teams may have reasons for taking other players, but for us, this was a really easy pick.
Really explosive player. He can play inside, he can be an edge rusher, just really feel fortunate to bring him back home to Philly.”
The Eagles GM went on to confirm that reports he was trying to trade up were accurate and they were trying to make moves to get Campbell. Roseman called the rookie a Top 10 player on their board.
“We do not 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 this guy’s 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 and you have an opportunity to get a Top 10 player on your board — a guy who can affect the quarterback, a guy who can affect the passing game, for us it was a no-brainer.
A local kid, great character, so we’re really excited to have him.”
He later emphasized that this wasn’t a “need” pick for them, but rather Campbell was someone they were really passionate about adding to the team.
“Very excited to get him, and we didn’t want to lose him.”
Roseman explained that in the days ahead of the draft they started getting the idea that Campbell might be available for them, and so they did start planning how to make things happen.
On where Campbell will line up
Head coach Nick Sirianni said that they see Campbell as a versatile player who can do a lot of different things. He noted that the first things that stand out are the rookie’s energy and speed with which he plays, saying that playing with relentless effort will fit into the Eagles defense.
Roseman said that they have a lot of confidence in the edge rushers and linebackers the Eagles currently have in the roster, but felt like Campbell would be a great addition. The GM wouldn’t say exactly what room Campbell will start in, but talked about guys in the league who have had success starting as an off-ball linebacker and transitioning to edge rusher — noting specifically that Vic Fangio has done a really good job of that with guys.
“Those guys that have that versatility and can go out on the edge and get pressure as a rusher — and he’s got speed, and he’s got power as an edge rusher, he was trained as an edge rusher, and then he’s got the versatility off the ball and can blitz from depth, and play in space, in pass coverage as an off-ball linebacker —, the things you can do and keep all these players on the field.
So for us we’re always trying to improve the front seven, and we view him as a front seven player whose got incredible versatility, and a skill set to do both those things. And the appeal is that he’s got this rush skill set, and he’s 21 years old — he turned 21 on February 24, so you know he’s got upside to grow and get bigger, and his frame is such that he can put on more weight and more strength.
So, as you can tell, excited about the player.”
Roseman went on to say that he has tremendous respect for DC Vic Fangio and what he sees in players, so they had a lot of conversations about prospects. They understand that while there might be a vision for the player, Fangio has a way of developing guys with this kind of skill set.
Despite how Fangio has been able to work with off-ball linebackers, Roseman was clear that he doesn’t want Jihaad Campbell put into any kind of box. They feel like he can grow into any kind of player they want.
Other notables
- Drafting local guys can sometimes come with challenges if they’re pulled in too many directions at home, but Roseman said he relies a lot on Big Dom who knows these kids and their families and gives them some honest insight into potential issues.
“I don’t have any doubt about this player’s character, this player’s work ethic, this player’s desire to win.”
- As for when they expect Campbell to be back out on the field after having shoulder surgery in March, Roseman said they’ll have to wait and see how everything looks once they get him in the building. The medical staff did have a chance to see Campbell at the NFL Combine and the re-checks, and there weren’t concerns.
- The Eagles GM also said they have a lot of confidence in Nakobe Dean, so picking Campbell had nothing to do with Dean’s injury timeline or what they see for either of their futures.
