The New Orleans Saints will have a big decision to make in the first round of the 2025 Draft, as they currently possess the No. 9 overall pick. A top-10 pick is a premium drafting spot, and for a team like the Saints with several needs, the franchise can go in a ton of different directions. However, most analysts expect them to go after a pass catcher (possibly Tetairoa McMillan or Tyler Warren), one of the many talented edge defenders in the class, and maybe a quarterback.
Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah sees the team taking an unconventional approach, going after a position that usually isn’t selected in the top 10. In Jeremiah’s recent mock draft, he has the Saints selecting Jihaad Campbell, an off-ball linebacker out of Alabama.
Saints select Jihaad Campbell in Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft
Off-ball linebackers are a lot like running backs, in the sense that their positional value isn’t that high, often leading to them sliding in the draft. However, since everything is cyclical, the importance of running backs and the run game is returning, so that means having the players to stop the run game is once again being valued as well.
In defense of Campbell and this selection, he isn’t strictly an off-ball linebacker. While that’s his primary position, he has experience playing on the edge at times, like more linebackers are demonstrating these days. Jeremiah highlighted that versatility in his explanation for this selection.
"Campbell has the versatility to be a major weapon for a creative defensive coordinator like Brandon Staley."Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com)
While Jihaad Campbell may not be the name a lot of Saints fans want to hear at No. 9, he’d be a good selection for New Orleans. His combination of size, athleticism, versatility and college production make him an intriguing prospect, and there’s certainly a role for him in New Orleans. The Saints could move him all around the defense, while also preparing him to be the successor to Demario Davis, who’s near the end of his career.
Campbell could also develop into an elite edge defender, and find a full-time home at that position. That would certainly make the Saints happy, as they’ve been trying to find a dominant pass rusher for years.