FANTASY FOOTBALL NEWS

Jihaad Campbell Has Path to Start Despite Lengthy Delay

By Matt Schauf | Updated on Tue, Jun 24 2025 5:39 PM UTC

Eagles DC Vic Fangio says the team doesn't expect first-round LB Jihaad Campbell to be ready for full practice until sometime in August, according to ESPN's Tim McManus. The team is still prepping Campbell as much as it can, though. And LB Nakobe Dean's recovery increases the potential that the rookie will find a starting gig right away. Campbell's capable of running as both a standup LB and playing on the edge, but Fangio says they're starting with him at ILB because "there's a lot more to learn there."

What They're Saying

McManus: "With Nakobe Dean out for the foreseeable future as he recovers from a torn patellar tendon, there's an opportunity for Campbell to carve out a role once cleared to play."

Fangio on Campbell: "He's doing all he can in meetings; we're doing all we can with him on the field. I take him to the side and do an individual drill with him that's suited to what he can do right now. So, he's working good and trying to pick it up."

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

The next best bets for LB playing time on the current Philly roster are 2024 fifth-round pick Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and 2025 fifth-rounder Smael Mondon. So it sure looks like the Eagles are hoping either Campbell or Dean will be ready to start Week 1.

We'll of course have to watch the progress on both players throughout summer.

Other Winners & Losers

The whole situation only makes Zack Baun a better bet to rack up tackles. And he showed last year he doesn't even need that help.

If the second LB spot remains iffy, we could see tackle upside added for slot CB Cooper DeJean and Philly safeties (another position that still needs some sorting).

Matt Schauf, Editor

Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.