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Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell is now the official leader of Kelvin Sheppard’s defense.
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For the last couple of years, Detroit’s coaching staff has expressed publicly the defense was Campbell’s to operate, as he steadily grew within the scheme. With the departure of veteran Alex Anzalone, the former first-round pick will now be tasked with again the green dot linebacker.
ESPN recently ranked the top linebackers, after polling NFL executives and coaches.
The former Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker came in ranked fifth, behind only Fred Warner, Roquan Smith, Carson Schwesinger and Zack Baun.
Last year, Campbell only earned an honorable mention in the annual polling.
As NFL insider Jeremy Fowler explained, “Campbell has been a steady climber in the linebacker pantheon, vaulting into the top 10 after a 176-tackle season — the most for a Lions player since Chris Spielman in 1994. Campbell’s 40% run stop win rate ranked fifth among linebackers (non-pass rushers), too.
“Detroit knew what it was doing when it drafted Campbell 18th overall in 2023. He has drawn physical comparisons to Brian Urlacher with his 6-foot-4, 256-pound frame, he can move well, and he has length to close windows in the passing or running game.”
As a result of his stellar play, the team rewarded the talented linebacker with a four-year, $81 million contract extension this offseason.
A veteran AFC assistant coach told ESPN that Campbell had, “Excellent football IQ, tough, physical, plays downhill, instinctive, aware, leader — throwback football player.”
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Football camp
Over the weekend, Campbell returned back to Iowa to host the Big Cat Lineman Camp.
Athletes attended the camp held at Cedar Falls High School to receive coaching, participate in football drills and to learn about giving back to the community.
“It’s really cool, and on top of all that cool stuff and getting to work with kids, you get to come back and just be with really good guys that are a lot older than me,” Campbell said, via CBS Iowa. “They kind of paved the way for me. I looked up to them. So it’s kind of weird now that the young kids are looking up to us, but I was that young kid one time looking up to a lot of these guys sitting at the table.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi as Jack Campbell Ranked Top-5 Linebacker By Execs, Coaches.
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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 7:30 AM.