Is Jack Campbell destined as the NFL’s next star linebacker?

Jacob Keppen

April 14, 2023 at 7:45 AM·4 min read

Jack Campbell was the heart and soul of the Iowa defense, and may just be the future backbone for some NFL team’s defensive unit.

Campbell was one of the most productive tacklers in the nation, topping 125 combined tackles in both years as a starter. He was also the best-graded coverage linebacker in the draft by Pro Football Focus. Campbell took home many awards after this season, including the Dick Butkus Award, given to the best linebacker in the nation.

Despite athletic concerns, Campbell backed up the stellar stats and play on film with a NFL Combine for the ages, posting some of the best linebacker numbers of all time. Seriously, Campbell is one of the best athletes at the position to enter the draft if you go by his combine scores.

According to Relative Athletic Score creator Kent Lee Platte on Twitter, Campbell’s score is ranked sixth out of 2,600 linebackers since 1987. Let that sink in for a second. Of all the great linebackers to enter the draft over the past few decades, Campbell has the sixth-highest Relative Athletic Score. So much for athletic concerns.

Jack Campbell is a LB prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.98 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 6 out of 2600 LB from 1987 to 2023.
Skipped bench, so no update to Campbell's score. Not that it would hurt.https://t.co/b2YyvNiPbJ #RAS pic.twitter.com/bkdjyaffBM
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 4, 2023

Jack Campbell enters the NFL Draft as a collegiate star and just looking at the athletic numbers, he just might be on the road to NFL stardom. Just take a look at some of the past greats that Campbell stacks up to.

Luke Kuechly

We’re starting out hot with the player I consider to be the best linebacker of his decade. Luke Kuechly was a five-time first-team All-Pro for the Carolina Panthers. He was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. If you want to see something ridiculous, check out Kuchly’s college stats at Boston College.

Bobby Wagner

Alongside Luke Kuechly, Bobby Wagner helped set the standard for what the modern linebacker was supposed to look like. The center of one of the greatest defensive units in NFL history, Wagner was the cog that really made the Legion of Boom work. He has made six first-team All-Pros in his career and won’t have to wait too long after retirement to reach Canton.

Brian Urlacher

Brian Urlacher was one of the greatest linebackers from the 2000s, and helped the Bears regain their crown as the toughest defense in the league. Alongside star linebacker Lance Briggs, Chicago made it back to the Super Bowl in 2006 under head coach Lovie Smith.

During his Hall of Fame career, Urlacher made four first-team All-Pro teams and was the 2005 Defensive Player of the Year.

Fred Warner

Many see Fred Warner as the top linebacker in the game today, and it’s certainly hard to argue with that. Since being drafted in 2018, Warner has made two All-Pro First Teams, most recently making the team this year. Warner is lauded by analysts for his instincts and rare coverage ability at linebacker.

Zach Thomas

I wanted to include Zach Thomas not as a joke, but to prove a point. A lot of the top players in the NFL are elite-level athletes. As shown above, this is pretty consistent at the linebacker position as well. Athleticism and Combine numbers aren’t everything, though.

Zach Thomas finally made the Hall of Fame this year after wrongfully being snubbed for so long. Despite his impressive resume at Texas Tech, Thomas fell to the fifth round because of his lack of size and athleticism. However, due to his uncanny work ethic and instincts Thomas became one of the greatest linebackers to ever play the game.

Alongside his athleticism, this is the other part of the game that Campbell will need to show in order to be a game-changer at the next level. Instincts, smarts, decision-making, and great leadership. Whichever team takes a chance on Campbell in this draft will look for the Iowa senior to be the captain of the defense, leading the entire unit to success.

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Follow Jacob on Twitter: @Jacobkeppen

Story originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire

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