Eagles traded up from 32 to 31 because Jihaad Campbell was a Top 10 player on their board

At the end of the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Eagles sent the Chiefs a fifth-round pick to move from No. 32 overall to No. 31 overall. Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman says the player the Eagles selected was easily worth losing that fifth-round pick to get him.

Roseman says Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell was an elite prospect in the Eagles' assessment and that they would have traded up even higher for them if the right trade opportunity had been there.

"We picked Jihaad Campbell, we made a small trade up just to ensure we could get him. There were a lot of trades in the 20s and we wanted to make sure someone didn't jump ahead of us. Excited to have him, really excited to have him. Wasn't really something we anticipated," Roseman said. "This was a really easy pick. Really explosive player, he can play inside, he can be an edge rusher, just really feel fortunate to bring him home back to Philly."

Campbell had shoulder surgery in March, but Roseman said the Eagles expect him to be good to go this season, and for years to come.

"This was a Top 10 player on our board," Roseman said. "We do not have any long-term concerns with his health. We look at the draft as a long-term opportunity for our team. We have a lot of confidence that this guy is going to be here and play at a really high level for a long time, and so when you're in a draft and you're picking at the end of the first round, you have an opportunity to get a Top 10 player on your board, a guy who can get to the quarterback, a guy who can affect the passing game, for us it was a no-brainer."

Campbell was born and raised in the Philadelphia area, and the Eagles were excited to bring him home.