For Howie Roseman, Eagles trading up to draft Jihaad Campbell was "an easy pick." Here's why.
Football took Jihaad Campbell from South Jersey to Florida and the deep South and back again. The Philadelphia Eagles traded up one spot Thursday night in the 2025 NFL draft to select the linebacker from the University of Alabama with the No. 31 overall pick.
Campbell was born in nearby Erial, Gloucester Township, in New Jersey and spent his first three years of high school at Timber Creek — about 17 miles from Philadelphia's home stadium, Lincoln Financial Field. The 6-foot-3, 244-pound Campbell had 54 solo tackles, five sacks and one interception last season in 13 games while hampered by injury.
"Once I seen the 215 number, I was like, 'Hmm, interesting,'" Campbell said. "Howie was like, 'Do you know who this is? It's Howie.' Surreal moment for me and my family. My grandfather watched the Eagles during Randall Cunningham days. He loved the Eagles. Special moment for me and my family."
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said Philadelphia had Campbell among the best 10 players on their draft board.
"For us, this was an easy pick," Roseman said. "Real explosive player. He can play inside, be an edge rusher. Just really feel fortunate to bring him home back to Philly."
Roseman dismissed any concerns over Campbell's injury history.
"We look at the draft as a long-term opportunity for our team," he said. "We have a lot of confidence this guy is going to be here and play at a really high level for a long time."
The reigning champion Eagles held the No. 32 pick but traded it to their Super Bowl foe, Kansas City, to select Campbell. He spent his final season of high school at IMG Academy in Florida before choosing Alabama over Clemson, Florida, Georgia and Texas A&M. In three seasons for the Crimson Tide, he had 184 total tackles in 35 games.
"We think he's a versatile player who can do a lot of different things," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. "The main thing you see is the speed that he plays with, the relentless effort, and that plays on defense."
Roseman said he tried to move up higher in the draft to select Campbell and was finally able to make a deal with the Chiefs to ensure the Eagles got the player they wanted.
"We're very excited about what he's going to bring to the team," Roseman said. "This wasn't a need pick. There were other players we liked at the spot we were picking, but this stood out to us. Very excited to get him, and we didn't want to lose him."
