Bleeding Green Nation
Insider insight from actual NFL front office members.
One of my favorite post-NFL Draft activities involves looking at what actual scouts think of the players that the Philadelphia Eagles selected ... through the lens of what was said about them before the picks were made.
This article features pre-draft quotes from football executives by way of Bob McGinn’s annual draft series (via Tyler Dunne’s great Go Long substack), The Athletic’s Draft Confidential (via Bruce Feldman), and NFL.com’s draft profiles (written by Lance Zierlein).
Let’s take a look at what insiders had to say about the Eagles’ selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Campbell was the top off-ball linebacker in McGinn’s rankings.
“He could go in the top 20,” an AFC personnel man said.
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An obvious plus for this year’s class is the number of candidates regarded as capable of wearing the green-dot helmet because they’re equipped to call and direct a defense. “I have six or seven in the top 100,” one scout said. “Only one that isn’t capable of being a green dot is Campbell. (Smael) Mondon and all the others are.”
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“He is all over the field,” one scout said. “Explosive, nasty. They do everything with this guy. He’s a former D-end. He has got bad intentions. He can blitz, cover. Love this guy. Mid-first round.” Underwent surgery for a torn labrum after the combine. “He can roll,” said a second scout. “Plays with range and tackles hard. He’ll take on blocks and can slip ‘em. Best at run and chase. He can run in coverage. Closes quickly as a rusher. Played with good instincts.” Other personnel people didn’t feel his reactions were sharp. “He has a lot of physical traits but I question the instincts part of it,” said a third scout. “Quick twitch, physical, really good size and strength, but the instincts were kind of average. That would be the only thing that would kind of hold me back on him.” A two-year starter, he finished with 184 tackles (16 for loss), 5 ½ sacks and seven turnover plays (the total of interceptions, fumbles forced and fumbles recovered). “He’s like Derrick Johnson from Texas that played for Kansas City,” a fourth scout said. “He wasn’t mentally good but he was so athletic that sometimes when he was wrong he was still right. Campbell is a really talented athlete but questioned his brain. The athlete is dynamic.” The third scout was asked if a linebacker can overcome below-average instincts in the NFL. He replied: “That’s hard. A lot of times the answer is ‘no.’ Sometimes you can improve a little bit. It’s worth taking him at the right spot but not the first round. He’s more like in the 40’s.” Arms were 32 ½ inches; hands were 10 ½, largest at the position. “He put on a show at the combine,” said a fifth scout. “He’s got it all. He’s an inside...
