Jihaad Campbell lands behind Eagles rival in early ranking of DROY candidates
If you're a Philadelphia Eagles rival, you're probably hoping that Howie Roseman's luck will run out and, at some point, things will stop breaking his way. If you're a Birds fan, you're probably hoping that never happens. You have to love what you've been seeing, especially recently.
Whether it's the trade that brought A.J. Brown to town (or one that shipped Bryce Huff elsewhere), the Eagles' GM seems to be made of magic. Howie seems to have mastered the salary cap and the NFL Draft. He navigates both like he invented them.
Let's discuss the past three offseasons. First, he landed Jalen Carter as a ninth-overall selection. No one said much because we were aware of the circumstances. The winning streak continued. Somehow, in that same draft, he also landed Nolan Smith in Round 1. Fast forward to 2024.
It seemed impossible that Philadelphia would have a shot at acquiring Quinyon Mitchell because they were picking so late in Round 1. They landed him with the 22nd-overall selection. Then, they also added Cooper DeJean. Wait! How did they get both guys?
And, while we're on the subject, how did the Eagles wind up with Jihaad Campbell this past April at 31? Some projected him as a top-15 selection.
The answers are simple. Howie is a genius. Sometimes, teams get lucky. Fortune falls on the well-prepared.
Jihaad Campbell named among five Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates.
If there's one knock on Campbell, it's the injury history. There are discussions about past shoulder and knee injuries. He underwent labrum surgery this past March, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to deduce that's what wound up influencing his Round 1 slide.
No one seems to be worried, though. Philadelphia is home to one of the league's best medical teams. If they're willing to give Campbell a passing grade, there is seemingly no need to argue, so the focus can be shifted to how much he'll be asked to do as a rookie and how high he can soar.
Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano recently stacked five candidates for the 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Campbell ranks second, right behind a rival on the New York Giants' roster, edge rusher Abdul Carter.
Here's some of the explanation: "It bodes well that one of the most successful GMs of the past decade did everything he could to ensure Campbell landed in Philadelphia. Strangely, some teams don't value off-ball linebackers as high as other positions, but that ended up being a benefit for GM Howie Roseman, who only needed to trade up one spot after surprisingly seeing Campbell still available at No. 31."
Here's more: "Roseman reportedly had multiple failed attempts to go up higher to nab the versatile playmaker from Alabama. Campbell could have a dominant rookie season playing for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, while lining up next to first-team All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun and behind dominant defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Teams might be kicking themselves for allowing Campbell to fall to the defending Super Bowl champions."
Two things are interesting. One, Malaki Starks, someone the Birds' fans hoped would land, wasn't on this list. James Pearce Jr. (Atlanta Falcons), Nick Emmanwori (Seattle Seahawks), and Will Johnson (Arizona Cardinals) round out the top five.
Another interesting fact is unrelated to the ranking. It's more about Carter landing with the hated Giants. Carter is from Philly. He grew up an Eagles fan and attended Penn State. Sadly, he's now the enemy.
Oh well... Maybe the G-Men hold on to Joe Schoen. Maybe he screws everything up when Carter becomes eligible for free agency. That way, he can come to Philadelphia and terrorize Big Blue a la James Bradberry (in 2022), Saquon Barkley, and, hopefully, Azeez Ojulari.
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