Eagles

Vic Fangio Provides Summer Outlook for Jihaad Campbell

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Jun 3rd, 2025 · 12:47 PM EDT

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Let’s get it back to the Eagles. Vic Fangio spoke to reporters Tuesday and said the following about rookie first round draft pick Jihaad Campbell:

• “Right now he’s working at ILB (inside linebacker). There’s a lot more to learn there, so that’s where we’ll start him. He won’t hit the practice field until sometime in August. We’re doing all we can. He’s doing all he can in meetings and we’re doing all we can with him on the field. I take him to the side and do an individual drill with him, which is suited to what he can do right now. He’s working good and trying to pick it up.
• He “potentially” sees pass rush upside with Campbell and will know more once they can get him out on the practice field as a full participant.
• Related, Nakobe Dean won’t be back “anytime soon.” Zack Baun is capable of playing MIKE linebacker in the meantime.

Obviously Campbell not being ready to go until August means he could begin training camp on the PUP list. He suffered a torn labrum in 2024, towards the end of the Alabama season, and had surgery to fix it. The Eagles open preseason play on August 7th against the Bengals, then get the Browns on the 16th and Jets on the 22nd. That leads into the season opener on September 4th vs. the Cowgirls. It’s a short time frame for a rookie to get healthy and acclimated, so maybe it’s a repeat of the Cooper DeJean situation from last year.

This is probably the most intriguing storyline going into training camp, the combination linebacker/EDGE situation and how they go about it. Dean and Campbell are recovering from injury, so Baun and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. are the healthy guys to start. You talk about Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche and wonder about their fit in the system and how they’re deployed. You think about Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt stepping up after the departures of Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, and Bryce Huff. At the same time, how much of an impression do Smael Mondon and Antwaun Powell-Ryland make in camp? There’s a lot going on with the turnover on the defensive side of the ball.