Chiefs, Eagles trade grades for intriguing Jihaad Campbell Super Bowl swap

For the second time this year, the Philadelphia Eagles engaged with the Kansas City Chiefs in a high-stakes battle of wills.

And for the second time this year, the Eagles came out on top, securing the player they coveted most in the 2025 NFL Draft, Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, using the pick the Chiefs earned for losing Super Bowl 59.

While the irony was rich, the deal truly was a win-win, as both sides got the player they liked, the value to move up a spot was mutually beneficial, and in the end, both teams secured a W to close out the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. While some fans will debate the move for years to come, especially if Campbell becomes a major player or the Chiefs admit they didn't have another inquiring team looking to make a deal, for now, both Vic Fangio and Andy Reid got their guys and both teams have to be happy with how things shook out.

Eagles grade: A-

From a pure player evaluation perspective, it's hard to argue with the player the Eagles landed at pick 31, as Campbell was the highest-ranking linebacker on the board, a certified difference-maker against the run, pass, and as a blitzer, and would have been off the board in the top half of the first round if he wasn't coming off of a shoulder injury.

Now granted, Campbell may start off the season on PUP, which is bad news, considering Nakobe Dean will almost certainly suffer a similar fate after a playoff torn patellar tendon, but when he's eventually healthy, it's hard to argue that the Eagles won't be a much better team when the Alabama rusher is healthy. At full strength, the Eagles could use Campbell as a 3-4 outside linebacker, play him in coverage off the ball, and effectively have mirrored players on both sides of the center, with Baun having nearly identical measurables from a height and weight perspective.

What prevents this deal from being an A+, however, is the Eagles' decision to give up one of their four fifth-round picks to select Campbell, as it's unlikely the Chiefs were going to select the Bama backer considering their needs on the offensive line. Was another team interested in trading up for Campbell? Or did the Eagles know they can't roster eight players this fall?

During the draft, Adam Schefter noted that the Eagles spent their entire 20s looking to secure Campbell's services, with Howie Roseman trying to make a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers at 22.

“After trading to No. 31, the Eagles select Bama LB Jihaad Campbell,” Schefter wrote. “The player they've coveted all along. In fact, they nearly traded for him at the Chargers' pick.”

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As was noted multiple times on the ESPN broadcast of Day 1, the Eagles really wanted to land Campbell and made multiple calls around the league in order to see if someone was willing to make a deal. If the team was that desperate to make Campbell an Eagle, then how can anyone really fault them for being extra sure he didn't slip away at the 11th hour? Campbell runs as fast as Malaki Starks, is as big as Chop Robinson, and can absolutely decimate ball-handlers behind the line of scrimmage; what's not to like?

Chiefs grade: A+

If the Chiefs wanted to draft Campbell, then giving up a fifth-round pick to select a player who is lower on their board would be a questionable decision.

But here's the thing: the Chiefs almost certainly didn't want to draft Campbell, at least not with Josh Simmons also on the board.

Heading into the draft, Simmons was a popular pick for the Chiefs at 31 – or 32 – because of his long-term upside. Once considered the top offensive tackle in this year's class before the back half of his season was robbed by a mid-October injury, Simmons could be blocking Patrick Mahomes' blindside for the next five years, even if his exact start date for the team remains very much up in the air as he recovers.

If the Chiefs allowed Nick Bolton to walk in free agency, then hey, maybe they would have had interest in Campbell, but between his injury and the return of their starting linebacker on a three-year, $45 million deal, that likely wasn't going to be the pick either way. With Roseman's interest in Campbell known, Brett Veach was able to use his leverage to get a free fifth-round pick from a general manager who was eager to make a move, and that is how good teams stay good at the end of the day.