Jack Campbell Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of David Berding/Getty Images)
School: Iowa (Senior)
Position: LB
HT: 6’5
WT: 243 lbs
Sideline Prospect Ranking: #59
Jack Campbell is a former 3-star recruit out of Cedar Falls, Iowa. Throughout his collegiate career, Campbell earned too many awards and nominations to keep track of. To sum it up, he was a top-5 player in the state of Iowa and was a member of the All-State Team. Campbell committed to playing football for the Iowa Hawkeyes over Iowa State, Nebraska, and Minnesota amongst others. In his first season at Iowa, Campbell saw action in 11 games, but did not make a quality impact. The back half of his 2020 season is where he became a constant presence in the Hawkeyes’ defense. He became the man in the middle of that defense, along with being All-Academic Big Ten. The kid is smart and instinctive, which translates to the football field with Campbell. He is a three-time member of the All-Academic Big Ten Team amongst a plethora of other awards and nominations.
Jack Campbell plays with a high motor that is turned up to 110% on every single snap. He does not take any play for granted and it shows. Campbell plays through the whistle to ensure that his job is completed. Campbell does a good job of reading the backfield and reacting quickly, there is no hesitation in his movements. Campbell is also a plus athlete, his testing has all been above average and it shows on the field. He is a fast linebacker that is able to keep up with deception and quick-footed ball carriers. Campbell is best when dropping back into coverage, where he can clog up passing lanes and take away reads from the quarterback. Campbell is an ideal MIKE linebacker in a Cover 2 scheme where he can clog up the intermediate area of the field in between the hash marks. He is a natural leader of the defense that will have no trouble with the green dot on the back of his helmet, relaying the play call to his teammates.
Campbell has a lot of natural traits and qualities that would make him a good linebacker at the professional level, but some things are quite glaring that are working against him. Campbell is a solid coverage linebacker in a zone scheme, but his man coverage abilities leave much to be desired. If he were to go up against the better receiving threats in the NFL, it would not go so well in a man-to-man situation. He has tight hips and no flexibility that limits his abilities to play man coverage at a high level. He has trouble turning his body and rotating to adjust to the play on the fly. Campbell has difficulties wrapping up runners and bringing them down on his own. He often dives for the shins or ankles instead of wrapping them up at the chest or midsection. This leads to ball carriers slipping his grasp and gaining big yardage after doing so.
Overall, Jack Campbell has an obvious path to being a top-tier MIKE linebacker for an NFL franchise. He has some weaknesses in his game that can be worked out, such as tackling, but he has undeniable leadership and an infectious work ethic. Teams want the commander of their defense to be a guy with the brains to handle it, Campbell fits that description.
Scheme Fit: Zone Coverage
Ideal Role: MIKE LB
Best Team Fits: BUF, TEN, PIT
Player Comparison: Patrick Queen
Player Grade: 78.2
