The Detroit Lions didn't have the most popular draft pick in 2023 when they nabbed linebacker Jack Campbell in the first-round, but there are plenty of folks that would like those negative takes back.
Since coming into the league, Campbell has been one of the most impressive players on the team's defense. He's morphed into one of the top linebackers in football. and has been a big play as well as tackling machine. Before the 2026 season, he has earned some major love as a result.
Pro Football Focus and analyst Bradley Locker revealed their top linebackers ahead of the season. Only one player was ahead of Campbell, and it was Fred Warner of the San Francisco 49ers. Campbell came in second, but it's clear he is hot on the tail of Warner given his statistics and game measurables.
"The Lions received plenty of flak when they took Campbell in the first round three years ago, but he’s developed into one of the game’s most stout defensive players. Campbell’s overall PFF grade has augmented in every season of his career, culminating in a 90.3 grade that was the best among qualified linebackers in 2025. After receiving a four-year, $81 million extension this summer, the 25-year-old might only continue to improve while being the long-term focal point of Detroit’s defense."
After a 2025 season which saw Campbell rack up 176 tackles, five sacks and be named a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro, it's impossible not to have Campbell high on lists such as these. He has transformed his game in a short amount of time, becoming one of the young leaders the Lions can count on.
Entering this season, it's clear Campbell can begin to take even more leaps and may even be able to overtake Warner if he plays well enough and posts good enough numbers. While there is pressure to back it up, after seeing what he's been able to do thus far, it's not fair to bet against him being able to get the job done.
Campbell perfectly encapsulates why he'll remain an elite NFL player
To Campbell, hard work is merely part of the agreement. It's rare to find players that would seek out more responsibility in the name of improvement, but that's exactly what the linebacker has talked about during training camp this year.
As Campbell explained, while most starters never mind stars might shy away from doing heavy lifting on special teams, he wants to do heavy work during training camp and the preseason. The reasoning? He craves the feeling he gets from testing his body and making sure he is entirely ready for a season.
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"That's the mentality I come in with. Give me it all. I don't care. That's what I'm here for. I'm trying to load myself up, especially playing special teams. I want to. We'll see what happens. I did it last year, I'll do it again. You got to call your body to run down on kickoff and get into a series. There's no excuses. Doesn't matter that you just ran down, made a tackle or didn't make a tackle and you're tired. Right now, that's my thought process. As many reps I can get, ones, twos, threes, fours, fives, I don't care who it's against, just let me get my body going."
It's clear Campbell is willing to put in whatever work he believes is needed in order to take a leap forward. That's going to keep him near the top of these lists in the foreseeable future, as few players are going to be able to outwork him.
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