Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has spent much of his career lining up against one of the premier linebackers in the sport twice each season, and believes one of his newest teammates may have the kind of upside.
Chosen No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, out of Penn State, Barkley has faced off against fellow Nittany Lion turned Dallas Cowboys All-Pro Micah Parsons a handful of times in his career and although it has only been a couple weeks worth of training camp practices thinks Jihaad Campbell can make a similar impact on the Eagles’ defense.
“I think it’s gonna be a problem for a lot of guys in this league when you go against him and block him. He’s kinda built like Micah [Parsons] a little bit,” Barkley told reporters. “As he grows and learns the game a little bit more, he’ll be put in different spots.”
The Eagles selected Campbell with the No. 31 overall pick in this spring’s NFL Draft, and the former Alabama standout has been flashing as a playmaker all summer since getting on the field following offseason surgery to repair a shoulder injury suffered last season in Tuscaloosa.
“He’s raw, can fly, aggressive, probably too aggressive in camp right now to be honest,” Barkley said. “Gotta teach him to stay away from the guys in red and knowing when to tag off and take shots.
“I’d rather have him be more aggressive than not. It’s fun to go against him every single day and he asks a lot of questions.”
With Campbell alongside Zack Baun, the Eagles might be on the cusp of fielding the most talented linebacker corps the franchise has had in several years.
After the Eagles demolished the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, sacking quarterback Patrick Mahomes five times without defensive coordinator Vic Fangio calling a single blitz all night, it isn’t difficult to envision Campbell’s versatility shining through both as a standup linebacker and deployed at times with his hand in the dirt off the edge.
Last season, Campbell posted a career-high five sacks with 12 tackles for loss in his final season at Alabama, underscoring his ability to be disruptive in opposing backfields.
“I feel as though I’m versatile, so I really enjoy being that type of player,” Campbell said, via CBS Sports. “I’m just excited, like I said, to keep on working at my skill set, mentally and physically … understanding the meaning of my rush, just reading, learn the pass cue first cause if I’m on the edge I might be dropping, disguising the blitz.
“If I’m on the edge I might be blitzing and disguising the coverage, so it all depends what the skinny is, what play it is.”
Vic Fangio Sheds Light on tight Eagles Cornerback Battle
Tim Nwachukwu | Getty Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Eli Ricks could ascend to the top of the depth chart if his strong training camp continues.
The Eagles’ secondary is going to look a lot different in September than it did in February, and the battle for starting jobs at cornerback is among the most hotly contested in South Philadelphia this summer.
Former first-round draft choice, and emerging star, Quinyon Mitchell is entrenched at the top of the depth chart, but who starts on the opposite side of the field remains an open question, according to Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
“It’s close,” Fangio told reporters. “I think both of them are having a good camp. But, it’s close, and I’ve been happy with both of them.”
While Kelee Ringo entered camp as a favorite to lock down a starting job, the 23-year-old has struggled at times through the first two weeks of practices. Meanwhile, Adoree’ Jackson and Eli Ricks are each pushing for first-team snaps.
“It’s been good,” Fangio said of Jackson’s recent practices, after challenging the veteran defensive back last week. “I think Adoree’ has had a good camp. I think he’s competing well. I think he’s focused, with a good mindset, and I like where he’s at right now.”
How Fangio and the Eagles’ staff wind up valuing Jackson’s experience, Ringo’s upside and a strong set of practices from Ricks could go a long way towards determining who starts on the outside opposite Mitchell when Philadelphia kicks off the regular season against Dallas in September.
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