Jihaad Campbell, Alabama: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Campbell was a five-star recruit from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in the class of 2022

Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell is my second-highest graded linebacker in the 2025 NFL Draft, only trailing Georgia hybrid Jalon Walker. Campbell is a special athlete who provides defenses with versatility in coverage and explosive plays in run defense.

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Jihaad Campbell, LB Alabama: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior middle and outside linebacker from Erial, N.J.

Background: Campbell was a five-star recruit from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in the class of 2022. He was the No. 16 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 29 for Rivals, and No. 17 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 41st in the nation (four-star) with an 87 grade out of 100. Campbell originally committed to Clemson before flipping to Alabama. He began his high school career at Timber Creek Regional High School in Sicklerville, N.J. before transferring to IMG for his senior year. As a junior at Timber Creek, he appeared in seven games as a wide receiver and defensive end, totaling 19 receptions for 321 yards and two touchdowns and 45 tackles, seven sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 2023 season opener following a knee scope

Awards: N/A

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, arm length should meet thresholds, fluid mover, steps up and around climbing linemen, some twitchy footwork shows up dodging blockers while working downhill, impressive short-area quickness to elude blocks, swim move vs. climbing linemen, closing burst downhill, nice lateral flow with good acceleration, quickly works off blocks and redirects to the ball, impressive speed in pursuit, long arms expand tackle radius, explodes off the line as an OLB, long-arm move, enough bend to turn the corner and win the edge, mirrors RB routes to the flats, good range, gains nice depth on zone drops, acceleration to help bracket slot options up the seam, good awareness on downfield coverage vs. slot options

Cons: Penalty numbers shooting up for 2024, inconsistent feel for run fits, too eager to come downhill and fit the run, inconsistent establishing a wide base and anchoring, doesn’t have power to quickly overwhelm and discard tight end blocks in the run game, overflows leaving gaps between the tackles, sometimes overruns ball carriers in pursuit, bites on RPO misdirection, arrives at tackles with a high pad level, lacks clear and developed pass rush plan, lost in space in coverage at times, a step slow to ID short and intermediate receiving threats in zone, lacks agility to match twitchy route runners, some awkwardness in transitions in coverage

Overview: Campbell has special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units and lines up as a MIKE and pass rushing outside linebacker for Alabama. His frame is excellent with good size, weight distribution, and arm length. Campbell is a loose and fluid mover who showcases impressive short-area quickness and some twitchy footwork to step up and duck around climbing linemen while maintaining his downhill burst. He also deploys a swim move to defeat blockers while working downhill. Campbell’s lateral flow on outside zone runs displays his acceleration. He’s too eager to come downhill at times, which leads to some poor run fits. The junior uses his long arms to quickly work off blocks and pursue the football. His stack and shed technique needs some developing, but his physical tools give him a clear advantage in these situations compared to other linebackers. Campbell mostly avoids getting stuck on blocks for extended time, but there were some instances on tape when he struggled to work off of mobile blocking tight ends. He’s better on the move in pursuit than trying to establish a wide base and anchor at the point of attack. Campbell’s speed in pursuit is impressive, but he overruns ball carriers and creates cutback lanes. He gets caught trying to tackle ball carriers too high at times. His arm length and tall frame expand his tackle radius. The Crimson Tide give him some reps as a pass rushing outside linebacker. Campbell explodes off the line and relies on a long-arm move and his bend to win reps. The New Jersey native is toolsy but lacks a pass rush plan. He’s just an athlete on the edge. If he wants to transition to that role full-time, he should stay in school for another year and work on developing basic techniques. Campbell is a great asset in coverage. His range allows him to gain good depth in zone drops and bracket slot receivers up the seam. His awareness and speed working downfield in coverage are rare traits. Campbell is still developing in coverage. He looks lost in space sometimes, and his processing of short and intermediate routes is a step slow.

Overall, Campbell is a tremendous athlete with the tools to diversify a defense’s coverage profile and make plays between the tackles and outside the numbers against the run. He can still clean up his run fits and improve his comfort level in intermediate zones, but he’s ahead of the curve for a second-year starter.

Role & Scheme Fit: MIKE or weakside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme

Round Projection: Early Third Round

Size: 6'3", 244 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 10-08-24