Jack Campbell NFL Draft Profile
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’ 5”
Weight: 249 pounds
School: Iowa
2023 NFL Draft: Jack Campbell Scouting Report
Jack Campbell projects to be one of the top linebackers in the 2023 draft class. The hard-hitting and physical linebacker from Cedar Falls, IA, was a great complement to the Hawkeyes’ defense. Campbell started all 13 or 14 games the team played in both 2021 and 2022. In his junior season, he broke out by tallying 140 total tackles after having just 29 the season prior. He had a ten-tackle-per-game mark in both 2021 and 2022 and also added 12.5 tackles for loss in his career at Iowa.
Campbell also found his way around the ball, taking part in nine total turnovers in the past two seasons. He had four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries in those two breakout seasons. Campbell was also solid in the passing game, deflecting seven passes in that span as well. He received All-Big-Ten Honors in 2022 and received the Butkus Award as well, given to the best linebacker in the country. Campbell is a big and tough linebacker who is pretty well-rounded but has some concerns and flaws that prohibit him from being the #1 linebacker in the class.
Strengths
- Big frame + strength leads to physical play
- Hard, heavy downhill hitter
- Decent in pass coverage, especially shorter routes
- Tremendous football IQ; leadership makes him a “field general”
- Decent with shedding blocks to get around weaker linemen
Weaknesses
- 4.65 40-time shows below-average speed
- Big frame leads to less athletic play and often struggles with change-of-direction
- Rushing menu rather weak, with limited moves to get into the backfield
- Not exceptional in mid-to-deep passing situations
- Sometimes struggles with shedding blocks; relies too much on strength
NFL Comparison: Slower Tremaine Edmunds
Teams With Need At Position: Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears
Projection: 2nd or 3rd Round (Top-5 LB)
Bottom Line on Campbell
Campbell is a very head-turning linebacker when it comes to draft position. Many have seen his tape and see that he could very well be the best linebacker in the draft and could be exceptional in the NFL someday. However, others see a lot of concerns with him and think he might not be successful in the league. Overall, Campbell plays the ILB position very well with a 6’ 5”, 250 lb. frame and has exceptional strength and hard-hitting ability. He is also rather decent in the coverage game and is involved with quite a few turnovers. His All-Big-Ten honors are no fluke, and neither is his reception of the Butkus award. But many are worried that his college success won’t transfer over to the NFL with some of his obvious flaws.
Campbell is slower than most other linebackers and isn’t the most athletic of the bunch. There are concerns about his durability and overall productivity in the NFL due to his lowered athleticism. He is a great leader but often relies on himself and his strength too much and therefore has a few letdowns. Overall, he projects to be a top-five linebacker in the class and could very well be the top pick or the tenth pick at the position; that is how equal most of the class is, as no one really knows who will go first or in the later rounds. I would expect him to go in the early-to-mid second round but he could rise as far as a first-rounder or fall as far as a third-rounder.
Main Image: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
