Steelers Have Opportunity To Seize 2023 Draft Combine Star, But When Is It Too Early?

Welcome to the Pittsburgh Steelers pre-draft season! Leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft starting on April 27th, we will be releasing draft profiles of prospects who could potentially see themselves on the Steelers.

Steelers’ Draft Prospect, Jack Campbell (Linebacker), Iowa, Senior:

OVERVIEW: The linebacker group in Pittsburgh is in a state of fluctuation. When Brian Flores joined the defensive staff in 2022, many were hoping for a resurgence of Devin Bush. Not to mention, when Myles Jack joined the team a year ago, fans envisioned the return of another elite Steelers' inside linebacker duo. Unfortunately, that duo’s performance fell short of a lot of expectations. If we fast forward to this year, Flores left to join the Minnesota Vikings and longtime linebackers coach Jerry Olsavsky’s contract was not renewed in favor of new linebackers coach Aaron Curry. 

Looking behind Jack and Bush, we don’t see much depth beyond Mark Robinson and with Robert Spillane set to hit the free agency market, they’ll need to bolster the group up through the draft. The linebacker position has always been a high priority in Pittsburgh and there is a good chance they’ll use one of their three picks in the top 50 selections to address that need this year. This is where they will find the 2022 Butkus Award and William V. Campbell Trophy winner, Jack Campbell.

PROS: Standing 6’5 and weighing in at just under 250 pounds, Campbell is a monster of a man inside. His long frame allows him to consume a lot of room inside the box and helps in zone coverage in the middle of the field. He thrived in zone-based schemes in college and can easily carry that to the NFL. Playing as the “mic” linebacker in college, he’s able to communicate with the defense to set the play and make sure all ten other players are in the right spot. 

Campbell is a scrappy player who isn’t afraid to take on lead blockers to give other defenders free lanes to the quarterback or ball carrier. Campbell has instinctual vision and is incredibly effective in spying on the quarterback and keeping him in the pocket. He has a great feel for the defense and is one of those players who just seem to know how to be in the right place at the right time.

CONS: Although Campbell is great in zone coverage, his press man coverage skills are lacking. In addition, his game speed may be a bit slower in his backdrop than what scouts like to see for a position that is growing into a more speed-based role. He has trouble getting into a deeper zone down the field, i.e. in the Steelers’ Tampa 2 Cover scheme or matching up with tight ends. In addition, his eyes can be a bit lacking in misdirection or play-action plays. Even though he possessed great instincts, there have been times when he gets sucked into the play fake and is taken out of the play. He’ll need to learn how to stay home in his zone and not fall for any eye candy against faster NFL offenses.

DRAFT PROJECTION: Late 2nd Round To 3rd Round

Campbell needed a big combine performance to boost his draft stock and he provided exactly that. Even though his speed was, and still is, the biggest concern, he ranked first in overall athleticism and third overall in the linebacker group. Even though he was recognized as the best linebacker in college last year, he is still looking up at potentially eight to nine other prospects on scouts’ big boards across the league. He is one to watch at the Iowa Pro Day on March 20th to try to boost his draft stock. As of Wednesday, he sits at a solid middle-of-the-second-day pick, but if he continues to test well, he may sneak into the second round.

VERDICT: Ironically enough, Campbell looks good in black and gold. He matches the frame and skillset the Steelers look for in an inside linebacker. He can improve his speed but would be a great fit in the Steelers’ zone scheme. We still don’t know for sure how Curry is going to approach the linebacker corps in 2023, but he needs able bodies regardless. Campbell is more than enough to provide that. 

The Steelers have a deep-rooted love affair with defenders from the Big 10 Conference and Campbell checks all the boxes to be interwoven in that. He caught the eyes of Steelers’ scouts in Indianapolis and is a perfect name to call at the 47th overall spot. But with all of the hype Campbell stirred at the combine, don't be surprised if the Steelers have to pull the trigger on him sooner than they'd like.

Where do you see Campbell going in April?  Would you want to see him in black and gold? Let us know in the comments!

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