Defensive line talent will be available for Eagles, Jihaad Campbell’s big week, and other scouting combine takeaways

INDIANAPOLIS — This year’s NFL scouting combine has an unprecedented amount of talented running backs, defensive linemen, and edge rushers, and the athletic testing this week proved that.

During the testing circuit, 14 running backs ran 4.5 seconds or faster in the 40-yard dash, Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart tested similarly to Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett, and South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori made an argument for one of the best workouts we’ve seen at the combine. He posted a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, a 43-inch vertical leap, and an 11-foot, 7-inch broad jump at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds.

But before each player took the field, teams were able to build deeper connections with prospects. While nearly every team interacts with all 329 prospects at the combine, each team is allotted 45 formal meetings, and gets 20 minutes to meet and pick the brains of invitees. For the Eagles, their meetings featured several offensive linemen, defensive linemen, and tight ends.

Here are some takeaways and intel we learned in Indianapolis last week:

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An early winner during the on-field testing and combine drills was Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, who played his first three high school seasons at Timber Creek in Gloucester Township. Entering the week as a potential late first-round pick, Campbell strengthened his stock, as teams were impressed with his character and his on-field testing.

Campbell ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash and leaped a 10-7 broad jump after measuring in at 6-3, 235. His ability to turn, flip his hips, and cover players downfield was evident during the on-field drills as well. He has great instincts and feel for the linebacker position, combined with his elite closing speed and upside as a pass rusher coming off the edge.

One NFC team scout would draft Campbell inside the top 20, and several teams believe is there is a large gap between the Alabama standout and the next draftable linebacker. Entering the week, The Inquirer’s EJ Smith wrote about Campbell as a potential Eagles target at No. 32 overall, but it appears the South Jersey linebacker will likely not be having a homecoming in April’s draft.

Penn State’s Abdul Carter and Michigan’s Mason Graham are the consensus top edge rusher and interior defensive lineman, respectively, and nothing that happened last week changed that. Beyond Carter and Graham, there isn’t a consensus second edge rusher nor defensive lineman.

Stewart is expected to be a high draft pick given his performance in the athletic testing, despite his underwhelming sack (4.5) and tackle (65) totals last season. Tennessee’s James Pearce, thought of as a potential top-10 pick entering the 2024 season, has elicited varying opinions, and at least three teams believe he could fall to Day 2 of the draft. His up-and-down athletic testing and lack of bend were apparent during the on-field portion of drills.

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On the flip side, Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku, a Williamstown native who didn’t run the 40, showed his explosiveness with a 35.5-inch vertical, a 6.94-second three-cone drill, a 4.19-second 20-yard shuttle, and a 9-11 broad jump. Several teams picking in the back end of the first round are interested in the edge rusher.

Another SEC defensive standout, Walter Nolen, has varying grades across the league, from as high as top 15 to mid-Day 2 of the draft, although he put up career numbers at Ole Miss last season. Nolen was an early-week standout at the Senior Bowl but did not athletically test at the combine. He’s a much better fit as a three-technique in a 4-3 defense rather than a 3-4 defensive end.

Oregon’s Derrick Harmon and Michigan’s Kenneth Grant seem to be more coveted after pick No. 15, so it’s possible for Nolen to be in range for the Eagles to select near the end of the first round, assuming the Birds move on from Milton Williams, who is set to hit free agency.

Keep an eye on South Carolina’s T.J. Sanders and Texas’ Alfred Collins, both of whom the Eagles had formal meetings with. Sanders projects as a three-technique, while Collins can play multiple spots along the defensive line.

The top offensive tackles in this class, LSU’s Will Campbell, Texas’ Kelvin Banks, and Missouri’s Armand Membou, all have questions surrounding their best position at the NFL level. For Campbell, who is expected to be the first offensive lineman drafted, the questions got louder when he measured in with 32⅝-inch arms, well below the 33½-inch arm length threshold most NFL teams operate under. Several teams believe Campbell is a tackle first, though, and would be inclined to allow him to fail at tackle first before moving him to the interior.

Banks allows defenders to get into his chest far too often and has 33½-inch arms. Membou may not have the foot quickness to handle speedier pass rushers at the NFL level but was one of the top athletic testers, running a 4.91-second 40 at 332 pounds. Still, all three are likely top-15 picks, and will get their opportunity to prove they can play tackle in the NFL. After the top three, Ohio State’s Josh Simmons and Oregon’s Josh Conerly would be next off the board.

Where does that leave the Eagles, who may want to draft an heir to Lane Johnson? The Birds typically value versatility. In 2022 they drafted Cam Jurgens, who has played guard and center. In 2023 they selected Tyler Steen, who played tackle in college but guard in the NFL, and in 2024 they picked Trevor Keegan, who played both guard spots at Michigan. Going by that thought process, they’re likely to go after a player with guard and tackle versatility.

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The known formal meetings the Eagles had this week included talks with Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea, Cincinnati’s John Williams, and William & Mary’s Charles Grant. Savaiinaea, who ran a 4.95-second 40, and North Carolina State’s Anthony Belton, who will visit Philly for a top-30 visit in April, are Day 2 offensive linemen and should be available near the end of Round 2. Oregon State’s Joshua Gray, who has played tackle, guard, and center, had an informal meeting with the Eagles but could be brought in for a predraft visit over the next month.

Tight end is a likely Day 2 target for the Eagles as Dallas Goedert enters his eighth season at 30 years old. Their interest in the class started at the Senior Bowl, where they showed interest in LSU’s Mason Taylor, Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson, and Nebraska’s Thomas Fidone.

Texas’ Gunnar Helm and Taylor had formal meetings with the Eagles last week. Taylor is the son of Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor, and checks plenty of boxes the Eagles look for in early-round players. Helm says he models his game after Goedert and believes he has a similar body type to that of Eagles backup tight end Grant Calcaterra.

Fidone, who was the No. 1-ranked high school tight end in the 2021 class, battled injuries early in his career with Nebraska but proved he hasn’t lost his athleticism by running a 4.7-second 40. He also leaped a 35.5-inch vertical and a 10-6 broad jump (best in the group). Fidone’s production is lacking (61 catches, four receiving touchdowns in his career) but he may be worth a Day 3 selection after the Eagles met with him at the combine.

Ferguson was the fastest tight end at the combine with a 4.63-second 40, had the best vertical of the group (39 inches), and is a smooth pass catcher who excels at creating subtle route separation. The Eagles met with him this week as well.

There will be plenty of options for the Eagles to get younger at tight end this offseason.