The 2023 NFL draft is just over one week away, and we here at Commanders Wire will look to profile multiple 2023 prospects daily leading up to day one of the draft.
We will focus on prospects who could be available for Washington and who fit a position of need. Our prospect profiles will not be exclusive to projected first-round picks only but also players who will be selected on the second and third days of the NFL draft.
The Commanders are first on the clock at No. 16 overall.
Today, we profile Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell.
The numbers
Size: 6-foot-5, 249 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.65 seconds
Arms: 31 7/8″
Hands: 10 1/4″
Vertical jump: 37 1/2″
Broad jump: 10′ 8″
10-yard split: 1.59 seconds
Scouting report
Jack Campbell has everything you desire for a modern NFL inside linebacker. He is big, fast, experienced, and physical, has a high football IQ and can hold his own in coverage. Campbell isn’t a perfect prospect, but he’s an excellent one who will be drafted no later than the second round.
Here’s Lance Zierlein of NFL.com’s scouting report on Campbell:
Inside linebacker who is built for the box and plays with good overall physicality. Campbell’s size allows him to challenge blocks and stand his ground despite inconsistent hand usage at the take-on point. He scrapes and plugs his run fits with workmanlike dependability but lacks the short-area burst and reactive athleticism teams typically look for from NFL starters. He plays with above-average field awareness. He’s capable as a zone defender and in some matchups against in-line tight ends. What you see is what you get with Campbell, and teams will need to balance the consistency with the playmaking limitations in their evaluations.
College stats
2019: Appeared in 11 games as a true freshman; Campbell finished with five tackles.
2020: Played in Iowa’s final five games in the COVID-shortened season and recorded 29 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and one sack.
2021: Started all 14 games and finished with 140 tackles, 3.5 of which were for a loss, two interceptions, one sack, two fumble recoveries, two touchdowns and six passes defended. Named Iowa’s defensive MVP and a team captain. He was named first-team All-Big Ten and second-team Phil Steele All-American selection.
2022: Started all 13 games, recorded 125 tackles, including 5.5 for loss, two interceptions and one sack. Campbell was named a unanimous All-American, first-team All-Big Ten, the Butkus Award winner as the nation’s top linebacker, Big Ten defensive player of the year and won the William V. Campbell Trophy as the college football player with the best combination of academics, on-field performance and community service.
Highlights
Fit with Commanders
The Commanders allowed Cole Holcomb to depart, feeling he’d receive more money than they’d want to pay, replacing him with Cody Barton. Barton was drafted higher in 2019 but is a similar player to Holcomb. Washington doesn’t value the linebacker as much as most teams, often only playing with two traditional linebackers. One of those linebackers is locked in with Jamin Davis.
Barton is the presumed starter at Mike linebacker unless the Commanders add one via the draft. The one who would fit Washington’s defense perfectly would be Campbell. He would give Ron Rivera his version of Luke Kuechly with the Commanders. That’s not to say he’s the next Kuechly, but he could be the missing piece to an already stout defense. Campbell and Davis would give Washington an exciting, athletic pair of young linebackers behind its outstanding defensive line.
