An All-American in 2024, Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell looks to follow in the footsteps of former Crimson Tide defenders and make his name in the NFL. Campbell is a high-end prospect who NFL teams will covet early on come April’s NFL Draft.
Jihaad Campbell’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 244 pounds
- Position: Linebacker
- School: Alabama
- Current Year: Junior
Campbell’s Scouting Report
Campbell is from Erial, N.J., and played high school football at Timbercreek High School before transferring to IMG Academy. He was a star at IMG excelling as both a wide receiver and defensive end earning five-star status as a recruit. He was heavily sought after by almost every top school in the country and was originally committed to Clemson before ultimately signing with Alabama.
Campbell didn’t see much action on defense as a true freshman for Alabama but did some time on special teams. His defensive snaps rose greatly as a sophomore as he saw playing time in 13 games, starting eight of them. Campbell’s talent was easy to see as a sophomore and his tape had the draft community excited for his junior season.
As a junior in 2024, Campbell had a breakout season and he earned All-American honors playing in the middle of the Bama defense. Campbell declared for the 2025 NFL Draft after the season and is a good bet to be the first linebacker off the board.
Strengths
- Excellent height, size, and length to excel as a prototypical NFL linebacker
- Explosive athlete with outstanding short-area quickness and straight-line speed
- Violent stopping power and delivers shock as a tackler, as well as when he stacks and sheds blocks.
- Outstanding coverage player with the movement skills and length to affect throwing lanes.
- A former high school defensive end, he flashes excellent pass-rushing ability and is nuanced with his rush moves.
Weaknesses
- More of a see-ball-get-ball type of player, and he does not anticipate well and flashes poor instincts at times.
- Will fall for misdirection, traps, and counters and take himself out of the play.
- Occasionally takes poor angles to the football in pursuit.
- Will miss some tackles as he comes out of control at times and fails to break down.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
While the linebacker position has been undervalued in the eyes of NFL decision-makers, no one can deny that having a playmaker at your second level can change your defense. Campbell has the skillset to be a disruptive defender at linebacker and can impact the game in both phases. He was the best player on the Alabama defense this year and was the heart and soul of that side of the ball.
As a prospect, Campbell has a lot to like. He has excellent size and length and is an outstanding athlete overall. He is an explosive mover who flashes very good short-area quickness and straight-line speed. Campbell is a highly versatile player who is best as an off-ball backer, who is also asked to rush the passer as a blitzer, utilizing his explosiveness, power, and length.
In the run game. Campbell plays with the type of physicality and aggression that you want from your middle linebacker. He sets the tempo and plays with contagious energy in the way that he pursues the ball carrier. Utilizing his quickness and lateral agility, he is able to slip and evade ensuing blockers and stay clear to make the play. When he can’t elude a block, he is able to use his length and power to strike with his hands and quickly stack and shed the blocker to make the tackle.
Campbell is at his best when he has a free alley to operate as a run-and-chase linebacker who is able to make plays from sideline to sideline. He has outstanding straight-line speed and has outstanding range working laterally and down the line of scrimmage. He will occasionally get lost working through junk and can get covered up coming down vertically.
Additionally, Campbell is a reactionary player rather than an instinctive defender. He is a read-and-react linebacker who has to see the play develop in front of him rather than anticipate the play. His instincts and awareness are below average and he often is a culprit of falling for traps, counters, and reverses.
Perfect for today’s NFL, Campbell’s best work comes in the passing game where he excels as both a coverage player and as a pass rusher. He displays excellent movement skills in coverage both as a zone defender and man defender against backs and tight ends.
His speed and length allow him to consistently affect passing lanes and he has good hands and ball skills to come up with interceptions. As a pass rusher, Campbell’s speed, quickness, and length are a tough combination for opposing blockers to handle. He is able to time his blitz well and shoot gaps – often going untouched.
Overall, Campbell has an exciting blend of speed, power, and length to be a highly disruptive player at the second level of an NFL defense. There are areas of improvement for Campbell as he must get more consistent with his eyes and instincts but he has the physical talent to be developed into a Pro Bowl linebacker.