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Every now and then, a draft day whisper turns into a near seismic shake in the NFL world, and the 2025 draft was no exception—especially for the Philadelphia Eagles. Imagine being this close to a blockbuster trade, only to have it slip right through your fingers, like reaching out for a prize that’s just out of grasp. The Eagles, fresh off a post-Super Bowl talent exodus, found themselves maneuvering late in the first round, inching up just one spot to snag Jihaad Campbell at No. 31 overall. Sure, on paper it looks like a small move—a blip on the radar—but insiders like Ian Rapoport sure paint a picture of a much bigger play nearly happening with the Chargers at the 22nd pick. It begs the question: what if the Chargers had played along? Would we be talking about a completely different ripple effect in Philly’s defensive rebuild? Campbell now steps into a locker room mingled with old college rivals, and after losing key contributors like Josh Sweat, the stakes couldn’t be higher. It’s this blend of fate, strategy, and a pinch of luck that makes the draft a fascinating chess match, and the Eagles’ dance on draft night reminds us that sometimes, in the NFL, it’s the near-misses that tell the juiciest stories.

The Philadelphia Eagles made a minor trade in the first round of the NFL 2025 Draft, moving up one spot to No. 31 overall to select Jihaad Campbell.

The linebacker is expected to fill in some of the gaps left behind during a post-Super Bowl exodus that saw a big collection of talent leave the team.

It was a crafty move to ensure they got their guy, but one insider recently said that the Eagles were close to making a bigger move for Campbell.

“I’m almost positive the deal was done between the Eagles and the [Los Angeles] Chargers at 22 to get Jihaad Campbell. I knew there was someone the Eagles were targeting that they would move up for. … I couldn’t figure out who it was, honestly,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

"A deal between the Eagles and Chargers was almost done for the 22nd pick..

The deal was almost done and then the Chargers decided to pick..

The Eagles still traded up one spot and were able to get Jihaad Campbell who they wanted"@RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/QHsBw5ND0i

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 28, 2025

Rapoport said the Eagles kept calling teams to move up even after the Chargers nixed the deal and decided to take running back Omarion Hampton instead of trading down.

Philadelphia lucked out as Campbell continued to fall, and it wound up getting him without having to give up as many assets.

The Alabama product will now be teaming up with several former Georgia players on the Eagles’ defense, so hopefully that college rivalry doesn’t get in the way for the rookie.

Campbell’s presence will be needed after the Eagles lost Josh Sweat as a free agent, and it will be fun to watch him blossom alongside all their returning talent.

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