The Detroit Lions have a culture built on grit and toughness, and perhaps no player exemplifies it better than middle linebacker Jack Campbell. Whenever the Lions are on defense, No. 46 is almost guaranteed to be near the ball. He also hasn't missed a single game in his NFL career.
In just three seasons, Campbell has become the anchor for the Lions defense, leading the team in defensive snaps (2,560) and tackles (380) since his debut. In 2025, Campbell finished third in the NFL with 166 tackles. No other Lion reached triple digits.
With everything he brings to the table, Campbell is one of the most important players on the team, and he was built for it.
Why Lions MLB Jack Campbell is a vital piece of the defense
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard was the linebackers coach when Campbell was drafted, and he knew something was different about him.
"That guy was born to be a middle linebacker. I told his parents that when he came on his visit after we drafted him," Sheppard said. "(If he wasn't a football player) I would say he would be a farmer or a hunter. It would be one of the two, but it would be something where he's getting dirty and getting his hands involved."
Campbell was drafted with the 18th overall pick of the 2023 draft out of the University of Iowa. Cooper DeJean, Campbell's college teammate and current Philadelphia Eagles cornerback, said he showed him the ropes.
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"That was the guy I looked up to when I came into college," DeJean said. "It's more (about) the way he's wired. Like the way he thinks about the game, plays the game and how aggressive he is. He understands offenses really well, and that's something I try to take from him - his film study and what he puts into the game."
Since he entered the league, Campbell has improved every season. Not only can he stop the run with the best of them, but he even has enough quickness to lineup as a cornerback. In 2025, Campbell allowed just one catch on four targets when lined up on the outside, per NextGen Stats (NGS). He said the ability to constantly contribute is something he hangs his hat on.
"The most important thing you can do in this league is be consistent, and that's something that I genuinely try to pride myself on in all aspects of life," Campbell said. "It's the little things over time that will make you great, and I feel like that's something I'm trying to focus on every single day, just being disciplined with everything. It's not easy, but it shouldn't be."
Campbell is also coming into his own as a leader on and off the field, and he said he tries to make sure everyone knows their impact.
"If you don't let people know that what they do matters, they don't do it with all their heart," Campbell said. "I want everyone to feel like what they have to give is valued."
Part of his job as a leader on the field comes as the defensive playcaller. If you look on the top of his helmet on gamedays, Campbell has a green dot, which means he has communication with the coaches to call plays. Quarterbacks and middle linebackers are generally the only players who have the green dots, as they are most often the playcallers.
Sheppard said the responsiblity suits Campbell well.
"The mental and physical endurance that it takes to wear the green dot in the NFL (is different)," Sheppard said. "There's no such thing as being too tired to talk. There's no such thing as coming out of the game. Everything starts and ends with him, and Jack's the perfect fit for that. It's who he is as a person and as a player."
Detroit sports fans usually have a soft spot for the gritty grinder on a team. Historically, Darren McCarty with the Red Wings, Don Kelly with the Tigers, Isaiah Stewart with the Pistons and Cory Schlesinger with the Lions are some examples. Campbell could be the next name in that category.
"You root for guys like him. You want to see guys like him have success and thrive, and he's done that," Sheppard said. "It's all a credit to him. This game really means a lot to him. He takes a lot of pride in it and he walks in that purpose. I'm very fortunate to have a player like that as a guy that's leading the defense."
Amidst all the uncertainty surrounding the Lions defense this season, fans can rest easier knowing they'll have arguably the best linebacker in the league until at least 2030.
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