Jihaad Campbell Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
School: Alabama
Class: Junior
Position: LB
HT: 6’3
WT: 235 lbs
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Background: Jihaad Campbell was a consensus 5-star linebacker in the class of 2022. Campbell is originally from Erial, New Jersey, but played football as a senior for IMG Academy in Florida. He was the top edge in the entire class and a top 3 player in Florida. He played both wide receiver and defensive end for IMG. Campbell committed to Alabama over Clemson, Florida, Georgia, and Texas A&M.
College: As a freshman in 2022, he was primarily a special teams contributor who saw limited action as a linebacker. In 2023, Campbell started 8 games and appeared in 13. He finished the season with 66 tackles, including 4 TFLs. 2024 was Campbell’s true breakout season as he finished the year with 106 tackles, 11.5 TFLs, and 5 sacks. He earned First Team All-SEC honors and Second Team All-American honors.
Strengths: Jihaad Campbell is a hybrid linebacker with a high pass rushing upside. While he can be seen wearing the green dot as a traditional MIKE linebacker, he can also rush the passer off the edge. Campbel tested well athletically with a 4.5 40-yard dash, which shows up on tape. As a pass rusher, he can win in a variety of ways. He has a relatively large range of pass rushing moves for the position and can get home by bursting through the A gap as well as setting the edge. Campbell shows his football IQ and savviness as the leader of the Alabama defense. He guides his teammates and calls out different offensive alignments to give pre-snap adjustments. Campbell offers plenty as a run defender. His ability to shoot gaps is on display as he can get into the pocket with ease. He can split the A gap quickly to make tackles in the backfield. His instincts as a run defender are impressively quick. He has an explosive trigger that he uses to shoot into the backfield with immense power.
Weaknesses: With Campbell’s size, it would be nice to see him as more of an effective coverage linebacker. Jihaad Campbell plays with his hair on fire, which can put him in bad positions in coverage. He seems to guess on a good amount of plays and he guesses wrong too frequently.
Conclusion: Jihaad Campbell is a difference maker at the linebacker position who can come into an NFL locker room and become a leader quickly. He will be able to completely change a run defense with his presence alone. If he can use his trigger and aggression in a more controlled way, Campbell will be an unstoppable force.
Scheme Fit: Scheme Versatile
Ideal Role: MIKE Linebacker
Best Team Fits: TB, LAR, NYG
Player Comparison: Devin Bush
Player Grade: Round 1 (91.2)
