By Blessing 
Meet the Prospect: Jihaad Campbell
As the Detroit Lions continue shaping their defense under new coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, one name from the 2025 NFL Draft class stands out: Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell. Sheppard has emphasized versatility in his linebacker corps—and few prospects embody that more than Campbell. In fact, outside of Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more versatile player in this draft.
Campbell made a significant impact for Alabama in 2024, earning first-team All-SEC honors. He led the Crimson Tide with 117 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles. Whether he’s in coverage, blitzing off the edge, or stuffing the run, Campbell has proven he can do it all. His ability to play multiple roles makes him a potential three-down player and a real chess piece on defense.
From a numbers standpoint, Campbell’s 2024 performance was elite. According to Pro Football Focus, he posted a 13.1% pass-rush win rate, earned positive grades on 17.1% of his run-defense snaps, and forced incompletions on 13.3% of passes thrown his way. He also recorded 22 coverage stops—a rare level of production for a linebacker.
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah had high praise for Campbell: “Campbell is a tall, rangy and explosive linebacker. He was recruited to Alabama as an edge rusher but initially moved to linebacker because of the Crimson Tide’s depth on the edges (Will Anderson Jr. and Dallas Turner, among others). This past season, he played both off the ball and on the edge.
“As an off-ball linebacker, he doesn’t possess elite instincts but offers excellent speed and physicality. He can range sideline to sideline and flashes the ability to thump off blockers and collect tackles on inside runs. He displays exciting tools in his pass-rush opportunities off the edge. He can burst/bend and finish. He also grew more comfortable in coverage throughout the 2024 season. He anticipates routes and positions himself to make plays on the ball. Overall, Campbell expands the playbook for defensive coordinators and his best football is ahead of him.”
Campbell’s draft stock is steadily climbing. Jeremiah ranks him as the No. 12 overall prospect, while The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has him at No. 23. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. labeled him the No. 3 riser after the NFL Combine. Field Yates and Eric Edholm also rank him in the top 25.
Campbell himself embraces the challenge: “I feel like I’m Mr. Can-do-it-all. I’m a Swiss Army Knife, as I can say,” he said at the Combine. “I can blitz through the A gap, come off the edge, play the run in Tampa Two, drop strong, hook curl, match—whatever you want me to do. I can man-to-man on the tight end, running back, receiver, anything.”