The Philadelphia Eagles have had so much NFL Draft success throughout GM Howie Roseman’s tenure, especially recently, that reactions like — “He can't keep getting away with it!” — have become an annual tradition from fans and analysts alike.
Unfortunately for the rest of the 31 NFL teams, Roseman and the reigning Super Bowl champions did do it again, landing an incredible value in star Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell at pick No. 31 overall.
MORE: Jihaad Campbell had perfect reaction to landing with Eagles on Day 1 of NFL Draft
Roseman met with reporters shortly after the first round closed on Thursday night, and may have inadvertently trolled a majority of the league when speaking on his team’s new chess piece for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Prior to the draft, Roseman revealed that Philly didn’t have 32 players on their board with first-round grades, hinting that a potential trade-up could be in order. After Thursday’s first round, Roseman dropped another revelation: Campbell wasn’t only a first-round talent on the Eagles’ board — he was a top-10 prospect for them overall.
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"When you're in a draft and you're picking at the end of the first round, you don't have an opportunity to get a top-10 player on your board," Roseman told reporters Thursday night. "A guy who can affect the quarterback, a guy who can affect the passing game... for us, it was a no-brainer."
Considering Philly was able to get that player with the 31st pick, and only had to give up a throwaway fifth-round pick in a trade with Kansas City to secure it, can’t sit well with the other contenders in the NFC.
MORE: Why did Eagles trade up 1 spot? Philly spends extra 5th-round pick to land star LB Jihaad Campbell
So, how exactly did Roseman and the Eagles get away with this again?
Campbell’s slide to the backend of Round 1 was due mostly to his recent injury history. He was banged up in the pre-draft process, rehabbing a surgically repaired labrum. Per Albert Breer, he has other shoulder and knee issues that teams feared could force him to start the 2025 season on the physically unable to perform list.
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Another reason for his slide? He played inside linebacker at Alabama, a position that tends to be devalued in the NFL Draft. Roseman hinted that Campbell could move outside to the EDGE — a major position of need for Philly — and if he’s able to stay healthy and develops into a premier pass rusher, pundits will one day look back at this selection while shaking their collective heads in disbelief.
"This is a guy who was recruited from IMG at Alabama as an EDGE rusher — hand-in-the-dirt EDGE rusher," Roseman said. "They had some injuries at Alabama. They played him off the ball. You see his explosiveness and his speed, and really... you see Penn State, give them a lot of credit for what they've done. They've had guys off the ball move to EDGE rushers. Obviously, their last two guys who've been drafted really high, they started off the ball and they moved to EDGE rushers."
MORE: Eagles draft grades 2025: Experts weigh in on Philly’s trade with Chiefs for LB Jihaad Campbell