What Lions Are Getting in LB Jack Campbell

The Lions added a physical, athletic linebacker in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Detroit Lions linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard called new linebacker Jack Campbell "a Dan Campbell guy." 

The No. 18 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft will be an instant contributor to the Lions' defense. Though the team just re-signed Alex Anzalone, they added another player, in Campbell, who should crack the starting lineup in the regular season opener.

"First time looking at Jack, I kind of thought, ‘OK, I’ve seen these kinds of linebackers before.’ He’s big and he’s a plugger, but actually no he’s not," said Lions GM Brad Holmes. "The more you look at him, the more athletic his traits came out and became very, very visible. Then you start looking at the athlete, the numbers he’s produced in terms of top-five athletic categories among all the linebackers in this year’s draft. And for a 6’4.5”, 250-pound inside linebacker, that was pretty impressive. We’re not even getting into two-time captain, we’re not even getting into extremely instinctive, extremely smart, extremely physical, very versatile. He can do it in the run game and the pass game."

Campbell is a long, athletic linebacker who exerts his physicality at the point of attack. He was a playmaker in the middle of a dominant Hawkeyes defense. 

In his college career, he totaled 299 tackles, to go along with 12.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and five interceptions. 

He plays with a deceptive quickness, evidenced by his stellar performance at the NFL Scouting Combine in March. He posted a relative athletic score of 9.98, which ranks among the best at his position. 

Using his blend of athleticism and physicality, he had no trouble finding his way to the football in college. He scored two defensive touchdowns in his career, one in each of his last two seasons. 

His size is an important aspect of his game. Standing in at 6-foot-4, he is able to use his length to disrupt passing lanes and create deflections and turnovers. 

Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Jack Campbell :: © Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

This playmaking ability will be an asset to the Lions' defense. A year ago, the unit ranked near the bottom of the league in nearly every category. 

The Lions found a gem in last year's draft with sixth-round pick Malcolm Rodriguez. In drafting Campbell early, they are hoping to find an anchor to pair with either Anzalone or Rodriguez. 

There are concerns about the Lions' decision to draft Campbell, though, as positional value doesn't point to taking a linebacker as highly as they did in the draft. 

However, Holmes and his staff felt good about where they took him. They have big plans for the Iowa product. 

"If you look at the totality of the draft, when we selected Jack, he was our highest-rated player that was left on the board. It was actually by a good margin," Holmes explained. "So, you can look at positions and all that kind of stuff. But, especially in this draft, if you try to get cute and say, ‘Oh, well let me get’ – no, there is no whatever you would tab as a premium position. ‘Oh, you better get a pass rusher. Oh, you better get a tackle.’ No, that’s not what the case was. We had him as the highest-rated player and the same with (No. 12 overall pick) Jahmyr (Gibbs). Jahmyr was the highest-rated player." 

Campbell will be an off-ball linebacker to start. Meanwhile, Anzalone will be the on-ball defender and likely call the defense. 

In this role, Campbell will be relied on to clog run lanes between the tackles, while being tasked with also covering running backs and tight ends. 

And ultimately, the hope is that Detroit, with the pick of Campbell, has found its eventual defensive captain. 

One thing is certain: Only time will tell.