Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell doesn’t issue into the Bucs’ present season. The 2024 season will not be over, and the Bucs are within the thick of a playoff and divisional title race. If the considered waiting for 2025 irks you, please again out of this web page now.
However for those who can concurrently respect the joys of significant December/January soccer whereas additionally getting excited for the promise of constructing on an already robust roster…then welcome!
The Bucs at the moment have a number of areas of their roster that might use some bolstering within the offseason. It’s not far-fetched to assume inside linebacker shall be one particular space they’re hoping to construct out.
Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
This 12 months’s linebacking corps has relied closely on future Ring of Honor inductee Lavonte David. David, for his half has performed nicely contemplating the truth that he turns 35 in just a few weeks, however can also be beginning to present indicators of age-related decline. He additionally will not be underneath contract for 2025 and will very nicely retire after this 12 months.
Fellow starter Ok.J. Britt can also be a free agent after this 12 months and isn’t a lock to be a precedence for the staff to re-sign. The Bucs had hopes that 2023 fifth-round choose SirVocea Dennis might present significant snaps as a late-down go protection specialist. However an early season harm that put him on injured reserve all season has left his future as a centerpiece for the protection doubtful.
Between Dennis’ lack of enjoying time and general harm considerations the staff can’t depend on him to be “the” reply at linebacker subsequent 12 months. He could possibly be part of a gaggle of “attainable” solutions. However he’s removed from a lock to be a starter.
The Bucs have been reluctant to show to former undrafted free agent J.J. Russell regardless of Britt’s struggles all through the season. He’s coming off of a very superior sport in opposition to the Chargers, however inconsistency, restricted athleticism and an absence of belief means Tampa Bay almost certainly doesn’t see him as a key piece of the long run.
The draft is a possible supply of recent expertise for this place group. Enter Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell.
Alabama ILB Jihaad Campbell – 6-3 • 244
By The Numbers
Alabama ILB Jihaad Campbell – Picture by: USA Right this moment
Jihaad Campbell is a 1.5-year starter within the SEC in opposition to among the prime competitors in school. He was Alabama’s main tackler this season with 83 solo tackles and 19 assisted tackles in accordance with Professional Soccer Focus. What’s most spectacular concerning the junior is if you have a look at the dearth of missed tackles. He had simply six missed tackles in 2024 to match his six from the 12 months prior.
Along with his enhance in quantity, he lowered his spectacular 8.45% missed sort out charge in 2023 to an much more diabolical 5.56% this 12 months. Campbell was additionally in a position to virtually double his cease charge from 10.55% to 18.69% this 12 months. He had two pressured fumbles this 12 months and 17 pressures, together with seven sacks, as a go rusher on simply 94 go rush reps. That was ok for an 18.09% strain charge.
In protection he allowed 24 catches for 170 yards on 30 targets over 320 protection reps. That works out to an 80% catch charge, 7.1 yards per catch and 0.53 yards per protection rep. Campbell added an interception and two go breakups to his tally as nicely. Hudl has him credited with a complete of 26 affect performs, that are performs that stand out as a solo sort out, strain, go breakup, run disruption or was focused on an unsuccessful play.
Campbell’s Professional Soccer Focus profile reveals him to be a jack-of-all-trades, grasp of none. He doesn’t grade above an 80.0 in any single side of the sport, however he scores persistently above common within the mid-to-high 70’s as a run defender, go rusher in addition to in protection. Taking part in for a pro-like program in Alabama additionally implies that he had extra duties than the typical school linebacker and his transition to the professionals will almost certainly have much less of a studying curve.
Campbell on Tape
Watching Jihaad Campbell, I really feel there’s one space of his sport that jumps out greater than others. He has probably the most superior really feel as a go rusher. And this extends additional than him coming late as an add-on rusher, or as a mugged-up ‘backer on a strain scheme. Alabama used him as a real edge on a handful of performs this 12 months they usually have been a few of his finest reps.
I’m totally on the Jihaad Campbell to edge practice
Have a look at that bend… pic.twitter.com/j76CratBBo
— Hail Mary Sports activities (@hailmarysportss) December 17, 2024
His size and dimension are small for a typical edge, however because the NFL has regarded for extra explosive athletes to play one of the necessary positions on the sector, they’ve discovered roles for gamers of Campbell’s dimension. Moreover, I virtually get the sensation he prefers to be a go rusher greater than an off-ball ‘backer.
When he drops into shallow zones, he does job to maintain his eyes within the backfield, however on the first signal of the quarterback breaking the pocket, Campbell is trying to shut and get to the passer. The constructive right here is that he has a number of spectacular performs at or behind the road of scrimmage on second-reaction efforts. However the flip aspect to that coin is he can even go away his protection accountability open for a giant play the opposite approach.
Rush Abilities
As a real edge rusher, Jihaad Campbell has the go off the road and bend to win the arc. In his restricted reps he has flashed each an extended arm on the surface in addition to a spin transfer as an inside counter. The spin wants work as he has principally been caught on it and thrown to the bottom, however the base is there for refinement.
His general athleticism permits him to vary instructions mid-rush to try to discover a secondary outlet to the quarterback. As a stand-up rusher from the inside, Cambell combines fast burst with sufficient shoulder motion to slip by linemen adeptly.
Tackling/Run Protection
Alabama ILB Jihaad Campbell – Picture by: USA Right this moment
As a stack and shed linebacker, he has the scale to tackle climbing tight ends and linemen with out getting overwhelmed and may slip by anybody who isn’t technically sound when concentrating on him. However in complete I didn’t see him working downhill to satisfy ball carriers within the gap very a lot. And as a tackler, whereas he’s very sound and technical, wrapping up persistently, he’s very hardly ever popping ball carriers or hitting with authority.
Most of his tackles discover Campbell absorbing contact because the ball provider beneficial properties 1-2 further yards driving by way of him as he drags them to the bottom. A part of the explanation for that is that Campbell performs with a excessive pad stage which saps energy from what ought to be a extra bodily pop when he hits gamers.
Campbell tends to set off late and appears to me like extra of a learn and react run defender with much less instincts to assist him get to spots earlier than the play will get there. However he does possess sideline-to-sideline pace and barely overruns performs. A number of performs this 12 months a operating again tried to catch the sting on Campbell and was unable to take action. This provides him a excessive ground as he strikes to the NFL.
Protection
Whereas he has confirmed to be a plus protection participant in school, I fear about these abilities translating to the following stage. I do know numerous analysts see Jihaad Campbell as a plus athlete. And I believed he was when his 2023 tape, however he appears to be like to have gained some weight and misplaced some fluidity in house.
I like his capacity to diagnose route ideas and never simply discover his right zone task but in addition discover the proper receiver closest to him. It’s the entire “cowl gamers, not grass” mantra that Campbell totally buys into. His purpose line go breakup in opposition to LSU was a unbelievable diagnose-and-affect-the-play rep.
This would be the space that provides groups probably the most hope for him as an NFL linebacker in a league that’s quick on good protection gamers.
Bucs Outlook
Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis and HC Todd Bowles – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Jihaad Campbell is taken into account one of many higher linebacker prospects within the 2025 NFL Draft due primarily to his general athleticism. I got here away underwhelmed general. I do assume he would offer an honest ground and an improved stage of pace and dropping capacity than what the Bucs at the moment possess.
And there’s a respectable quantity of scheme match with Bucs head coach Todd Bowles’ system. Campbell might thrive in mugged-up appears to be like in addition to a rotational edge in sub packages. However he isn’t somebody I’d spend a first- or second-round choose on. And I nonetheless have reservations as as to if he wouldn’t be finest served as a 3-4 exterior linebacker than as a real off-ball linebacker.
