There could be a chance that Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell and Detroit Dan Campbell are related somewhere along the line. If so, that would explain why the Detroit Lions shocked everyone and selected him with the 18th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Look, I’ll be the first to admit that I love the on-the-field play from Jack Campbell to the background research I gathered on him. For starters, he loves to hunt and I think he’ll find himself a nice spot up north (past the Zilwaukee Bridge) during deer season. Meanwhile, he was a heck of a high school basketball player. As a forward, he would get physical against anyone that entered the paint and most people at Cedar Falls High School in Cedar Falls, Iowa believed he could play college hoops.
On the field, he’s a terrific leader and it shows with how he communicates on every single snap. It’s evident that he was the leader of that Iowa defense. As for his play, he can change direction at ease and always displays good technique. But there are times that Campbell needs to fix his pursuit angles to the football when scraping over the top or he will get juked. Michigan running back Blake Corum did it to him during their meeting in 2021.
Those plays can happen — the key is that they don’t happen on a consistent basis. Let’s jump into some film on Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell to see how he fits the Detroit Lions!
Backside fill, squeeze and bend
We all know that a successful team is when all 11 players on offense and defense consistently do their job. Obviously, there will be times when it doesn’t happen and there’s a mishap on offense or defense. For Jack Campbell, he consistently displays good technique on tape and the knack for getting to the football. In fact, he was so good that this past season he won the Butkus Award in 2022 as the nation’s top linebacker.
Looking at the game against Ohio State, Jack Campbell had one of his best games of the season. He had 6 tackles, two pressures and an interceptions while earning a 91.5 defensive grade (per PFF) for his highest grade of the season.
Watching the play above, you’ll see Campbell align in a 10 (between the guard and center) as the MIKE linebacker. With an outside zone run designed by the Buckeyes, the Iowa defense does a great job play side to force the running back to stop and change his direction. In the process, Campbell fills the backside cut-back lane while squeezing down and then bending to the football. This leads to him making one of his six tackles.
Always on a mission when attacking downhill
As I continued to watch Jack Campbell, I loved the way he attacked downhill. Over the last two seasons, he’s compiled 265 total tackles, four interceptions and seven pass deflection. He’s been a consistent threat in the box and uses his strength and size to his advantage.
Watching the play above, Campbell slides with the pre-snap motion but despite moving him one gap over, that doesn’t slow him down. He reads the reach blocks developing in front of him and then flies upfield to make the tackle. With how disruptive the Lions defensive line is starting to become, it’s obvious that the Lions feel like Campbell can feast in the middle of their defense.
At the Scouting Combine, Campbell checked in at 6-foot-5 and 249 pounds. He had an impressive 40-yard dash time of 4.65 seconds and he ran the 3-cone drill in 6.74 seconds. His change of direction ability is impressive and his 92.9 coverage grade (per PFF) was higher than any linebacker in the class.
Overall Thoughts
One thing is for sure — nobody knows what the Detroit Lions are thinking. Either we’re playing checkers and they’re playing chess or the other way around. Regardless, I was told by the fan base that the Lions don’t value linebackers high but they just took one in the first round.
Certainly, we reached on both players in the first round but we don’t know where these players were valued on any other team’s boards other than the Lions. For Campbell, there will be pressure on him to be an impact player quickly in his career. He’ll need to become more polished with how he maintains his ground when shedding blocks but by playing along Malcolm Rodriguez and Alex Anzalone should help with that.
That said, we just have to trust the process.
Taking Campbell after giving Alex Anzalone a three-year contract is a tough pill to swallow but the Lions can easily get out of Anzalone’s contract after the 2024 season. One thing we have going for us as a fan base is that the Lions seem to have struck gold by selecting Malcolm Rodriguez in the 6th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Maybe the Lions did it again with Jack Campbell in the 1st round of the 2023 NFL Draft?
Time will tell.
