Getty Jack Campbell during the 2023 NFL combine.
The Detroit Lions pulled another surprise within the first-round of the 2023 NFL draft, nabbing Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell with the 18th-overall selection.
Campbell comes to the team to provide thump on defense, and it’s something he has been able to with regularity in college. As the winner of the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker, Campbell was on Detroit’s radar thanks to his play, but in addition to that, Campbell impressed due to his values.
Clearly, Campbell is a meat-and-potatoes football player, and he liked meeting with the team during the NFL combine, and praised the team’s culture when speaking to the media on Thursday, April 27.
Campbell said he had a formal interview with the Lions at the Combine and said it was a great meeting. Loves the culture in Detroit.
“Campbell said he had a formal interview with the Lions at the Combine and said it was a great meeting. Loves the culture in Detroit,” Twentyman tweeted.
If that wasn’t good enough, Campbell dropped a fantastic quote after he was selected, and proved what a fit for the culture he would be. As he explained to reporters including Tim Twenyman of DetroitLions.com, he likes that it’s all about football with the Lions, which is all that matters.
Jack Campbell on joining Detroit: “It’s only about football (in Detroit) and football is all that matters.”
“Jack Campbell on joining Detroit: “It’s only about football (in Detroit) and football is all that matters,” Twentyman tweeted.
Football is all that matters to the team and their staff, and in Campbell, they get another no-nonsense defensive player to insert on their team. It’s clear this is a major culture fit for the team based on this quote alone.
Jack Campbell Was Called a Top Lions’ Fit for Draft
Going into the draft, many had already seen Campbell as one of the team’s best fits, perhaps albeit a little bit lower down the draft board.
Campbell, a gritty talent, was revealed by Pro Football Focus analyst Mike Renner to be Detroit’s ideal day two fit in the draft. As Renner explained in a piece, he could even be seen as a plug-and-play option as well as one of the best linebackers in the draft.
“The Lions need a plug-and-play linebacker, and there’s none in this class better than Campbell. He’s experienced between the tackles and earned a 91.9 overall grade last season,” Renner wrote in the piece.
During the draft process, many have put a second-round grade on Campbell, and even with three second-round selections, the Lions apparently didn’t want to risk losing
Adding Campbell to the back end of a defense that has already improved with names such as Cameron Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley at cornerback as well as C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the defensive backfield is intriguing. That’s true in addition to what the Lions already have up front in Aidan Hutchinson as well as Romeo Okwara, Charles Harris and James Houston.
Campbell could be a good culture fit as well as a key player at a position of need for the team.
Jack Campbell’s Career Stats & Highlights
While playing for Iowa, Campbell had a reputation for being solid on the field, as evidence by the fact that he played in 27 games for the Hawkeyes the last two years.
Regarded as a physical player, Campbell has put up some very solid numbers in the Big Ten, and has been nationally recognized for his play, having taken home the Butkus Award for the top linebacker in college football.
In addition to that, Campbell was named the Roy Carver Most Valuable Player for the defense, and was a permanent team captain on that side of the ball. He was a Consensus All-American as well as a First-Team All-American. He was also the Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Statistically, Campbell was just as stout. He posted 299 tackles, three sacks, five interceptions and 12.5 tackles-for loss. He also had three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries to his credit during his time in school.
Campbell lets his play do the talking, and now that he has landed with a team that has a solid culture which matches him, it could be a very intriguing pairing.