Eagles Could Use Jihaad to Unleash Hell on Opposing Quarterbacks

The Philadelphia Eagles are sitting at No. 32 overall in this year’s NFL Draft which if you didn’t happen to know is the last pick in the first round.  It’s not a punishment.  It’s a status symbol. 

When you are slotted at 32 it’s because you are the envy of the league, not because of a trade, but because you dominated the league and brought home the Lombardi Trophy.  The last pick in the first round a.k.a. Club 32, is only for VIP’s, a select few who’ve earned a lifetime membership to enjoy and bask in the glow of its exclusivity.  But once you get past the historical significance you’re left to deal with the real world insignificance of the players who have ever been taken with the last pick in the first round.  I’ve done the research and in the history of the NFL draft, my board for top-three, 32nd overall selections are:

1. Logan Mankins (2005 – New England Patriots, G, Fresno State)

• Accolades: 7× Pro Bowl,  a guard from the Mountain West Conference – so very sexy.

2. Benjamin Watson (2004 – New England Patriots, TE, Georgia)

• Accolades: Not many but did play in 16 NFL seasons.

3. Bob Trumpy (1968 – Cincinnati Bengals, TE, Utah)

• Cincinnati Ring of Honor but failed in his attempt to Make The Bengals Great Again. 

Speaking to reporters ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft slated for this week, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman made it clear that the Eagles were going to be prepared for any situation that could come on Thursday when the selection process begins.

“We always take worst-case scenario and work back from that,” Roseman said. “We’ve got to be really comfortable with whatever is our worst-case scenario, which will always entail getting a good player (except in 2014 when they took Marcus Smith and 2020 when they took Jalen Reagor).  There’s never 32 first-round grades on our board. We don’t have 32 first-round grades in this draft.”

Howie doesn’t like to sit tight period so I certainly wouldn’t expect him to on Thursday especially when his board says there aren’t 32 first round-grades on it.

Holy Hell

So I believe a move to be imminent and if there’s anyone worth making that move for in this year’s first round, it’s Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell.

Let’s start with the obvious: his name is Jihaad.  Spelled Jihaad, and pronounced like “holy war.” And that’s exactly what he brings to the field, controlled violence and unrelenting pursuit. He’s not just a linebacker; he’s a heat-seeking missile with a mean streak and in Vic Fangio’s system, that kind of versatility isn’t just welcomed—it’s weaponized.

In the first season in Kane Wommack’s “Swarm” Alabama defense, Campbell was the face of its production, recording 117 tackles, eighth-most in Alabama history and a team-leading 11.5 tackles for loss.

It’s doubtful that Campbell falls to pick 32.  He’s a raw prospect, and some scouts question where exactly he fits best, an off-ball linebacker or straight pass-rusher? But in a Vic Fangio defense that finished first overall in all the land last season that’s the kind of “problem” you want to have.

Senior NFL writer Matt Lombardo addressed this perfectly in his Monday mock draft for Between The Hashmarks, projecting Campbell to the Birds at 32:

“It might be a stretch that Campbell falls this far, but some inside the league believe that his game still needs some refinement, and there’s some uncertainty about whether he’s best deployed as a pure pass-rusher or traditional linebacker.

Neither Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio nor general manager Howie Roseman likely care much about those concerns, and rather view Campbell’s freakish athleticism and versatility as an asset to add a potentially game-altering disruptive force to one of the youngest and most dominant front-sevens in the league.”

That’s exactly the point. The Eagles aren’t in the business of playing it safe. They’re in the business of stacking blue-chip talent and trusting their coaches to shape it. Howie Roseman doesn’t draft by need he drafts by impact. That’s why this team has remained a juggernaut despite the ever-turning carousel of injuries, free-agent departures, and salary cap gymnastics.

Howie on the Move?

And Jihaad Campbell? He’s impact.

He’s a violent, sideline-to-sideline athlete who plays with burst, bend, and anger. He’s the kind of defender who blows up screens, wrecks zone reads, and makes tight ends regret crossing the middle. He doesn’t have to start day one. He doesn’t even have to know his role yet. In a Vic Fangio defense, his role will find him, and it’ll be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks when it does.

The Eagles are in a rare position. They just won a Super Bowl. They’ve got their quarterback. They’ve got their trenches.  Now, at 32, with a wallet stuffed with draft capital, the Birds can afford to take a swing.  That’s what Roseman does.  He’s a grip it and rip it guy who’s not afraid to swing through a pitch every now and then.  

So if Campbell does fall to 32, Howie should take the card to the podium in under 10 seconds. If he starts to slip into the mid-20s, Roseman should go get him.   So that sooner rather than later the G.M. can kick back in the VIP section at Club 32 and enjoy watching his very own home-grown religious crusader unleash Hell on opposing offenses for many years to come.