Lions Seem To Want Jack Campbell As Their Middle Linebacker
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said second-year linebacker Jack Campbell has taken control of the offseason the way he should. Glenn called Campbell a "grown man" with the way he's approaching things as a true Mike linebacker. After the team tinkered with his positional versatility in 2023, the Lions seem to want him to settle in as their middle linebacker moving forward. Campbell was drafted with the 18th overall pick last year out of Iowa and finished his first year in the NFL with 95 tackles (52 solo), two sacks and five tackles for loss in 17 regular-season games (12 starts). The 23-year-old was in the starting lineup for 11 of the team's final 12 games and should continue to see a bigger role for Detroit's D heading into his second season.
Detroit Lions rookie linebacker Jack Campbell is still adjusting to the nuances of the NFL game, and linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard has challenged him regularly this offseason. Head coach Dan Campbell said the rookie has been hard on himself, which can be a "blessing and a curse," because they want him to move past his early mistakes. The No. 18 overall pick in this year's draft is growing daily while Detroit throws a lot at him as an inside linebacker while asking him to play with vision. "I think like with any young player, he's smart enough to understand what's going on, but he's not processing it fast enough because he's young," Dan Campbell said. "It gets on him fast. The speed of the game's different, and that'll come."
Lions Expect Jack Campbell To Make Immediate Impact
The Detroit Lions took linebacker Jack Campbell in the first round of this year's NFL draft because they think he'll make an immediate impact in the middle of their defense. Part of the process from now until Campbell's first NFL game in Week 1 will be honing in on the details. He looks the part already as a strong communicator in the heart of the defense, and he's a man among boys in terms of his stature. There aren't too many players with Campbell's size (6-foot-5, 249 pounds) who can move like him at linebacker. While the 22-year-old wasn't often in the opponent's backfield making tackles for loss, his extreme athleticism could make him an IDP tackle machine sooner than later.
Jack Campbell Looks The Part Of Plug-And-Play Linebacker
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes placed an emphasis on finding players who could make an immediate impact with his early round picks in this year's draft, and for a defense that ranked dead-last in yards per game allowed in 2022, linebacker Jack Campbell has a chance to move the needle immediately. He has the look of a plug-and-play linebacker whose impressive playing speed and all-out effort should be an asset for Detroit defensively in 2023. The Lions are expecting much more out of their defense this year, as they also upgraded the secondary and their defensive line. Campbell could become attractive in IDP leagues eventually, but fantasy managers should continue to avoid the Lions defense/special teams unit until we see real progress.
Lions Go With Jack Campbell With Their Second First-Round Pick
The Detroit Lions selected University of Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Thursday night. The Lions traded back earlier in the first round to drop to 12th overall to take Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs, and now they go with defense in Campbell. The 22-year-old is a tough, physical, sideline-to-sideline linebacker that should fit well in head coach Dan Campbell's defense. He has a feel for blocking schemes and plays particularly well in zone schemes in the middle of the defense. Campbell is built to play downhill in the box against opposing run games and plays with above-average field awareness. He turned heads at the scouting combine and was a unanimous All-American in 2022 as one of the nation's top linebackers.
