Scouts Like Addition of Campbell

Perhaps sixth-year pro De'Vondre Campbell will help the Green Bay Packers fix a longtime defensive weakness.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers haven’t had a linebacker capable of playing consistently winning coverage in years. That’s why former defensive coordinator Mike Pettine relied so heavily on six-defensive-back packages.

Maybe the addition of De’Vondre Campbell will be the solution.

The Packers signed Campbell, a fourth-round pick in 2016 and 70-game starter in five NFL seasons, last week to add a versatile veteran presence to a position group led by second-year players Krys Barnes and Kamal Martin.

“Really good signing,” a scouting director said. “Athletic, can cover. Little weak in the run game but good value. He’s a little underrated so, at that price, it’s a pretty good signing.”

Teams generally value Pro Football Focus’ analytics but not its player grades. Campbell has posted consistently mediocre coverage grades throughout his career, but another scout pointed out Campbell’s athleticism and length allowed defenses in Atlanta (2016 through 2019) and Arizona (2020) to put him in tougher matchups.

“I could see him being your three-down linebacker,” that scout said. “His length really can make things difficult on quarterbacks. And he tackles well, too, so even when he does give up a catch, he usually limits the damage.”

“He’s not a great player,” he added, “but he’s probably better than what you’ve had.”

Among linebackers, Campbell ranked 31st with 97 tackles last season. Of that group, he ranked 11th with 5.5 yards allowed per coverage snap and 13th with a completion rate of 65.9 percent, according to Sports Info Solutions.

Barnes, who unseated veteran Christian Kirksey to earn the every-down role, gave up an 87.5 percent catch rate and 7.1 yards per target. In his final season with the Packers in 2019, Blake Martinez gave up an 82.5 percent catch rate and 7.1 yards per target.

According to PFF, Campbell allowed 13-of-25 passing when in man coverage. Of the 61 linebackers to play at least 220 overall coverage snaps, that 52.0 percent ranked seventh. On the other hand, he finished 53rd with an 87.5 percent completion rate in zone, though his 8.6 coverage snaps per reception was a bit better than average.

“When I’m in coverage against tight ends, most of them are bigger guys,” Campbell said last week. “Usually, it’s a mismatch if a safety or a corner is on them. It’s not really a mismatch with me because I can match up with them.”