Why Eagles rookie 'with all the potential in the world' can be Nolan Smith replacement

PHILADELPHIA − The conventional wisdom is that the Eagles can help replace edge rusher Nolan Smith, who went on injured reserve on Sept. 24 with a triceps injury, with two veterans who have not been active on game days this season.

There's Azeez Ojulari, who had six sacks in 11 games with the Giants last season, and Ogbo Okoronkwo, who played for the Cleveland Browns and has 17 career sacks.

And the Eagles will increase the workload for Za'Darius Smith when the Eagles face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 28. Za'Darius Smith was signed Sept. 5. Interestingly enough, he has the only sack by an Eagles edge rusher − a shared sack with rookie safety Drew Mukuba against the Chiefs on Sept. 14.

Buy Philadelphia Eagles tickets

Jalyx Hunt and Josh Uche are the other Eagles edge rusher on the roster.

But the Eagles do have another option in rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell, who has already slid down to take some reps at edge rusher on occasion through the first three games. He could certainly do that against the Bucs when needed.

The Eagles, of course, aren't revealing their plans for the Buccaneers.

It would be natural for Campbell, who was an edge rusher at Alabama before moving to inside linebacker last season. And at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, the Eagles see Campbell as having a similar skill set as Zack Baun. That is, someone who can line up at inside linebacker and move down to edge rusher from time to time.

Campbell did get some snaps at edge rusher during training camp, and Baun said Campbell has done it a few times already during the first three games.

So when asked if he'd be comfortable if he were asked to play there, Campbell replied: "I played edge before, so it’s nothing new to me. You can be rusty here and there, but it’s always good to get back into the routine of it, and prepare for it."

If Campbell did do that against the Bucs, it likely would be only occasionally, especially since he and Baun make a strong combination at inside linebacker. And the backups at linebacker, Jeremiah Trotter and rookie Smael Mondon, don't have any snaps on defense this season.

But if the Eagles were to send five pass rushers after Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, Campbell could certainly line up at edge and join the rush.

Baun, for one, strongly believes that Campbell can do it. Baun has already provided tips not only about playing inside linebacker, where Baun was an All Pro last season, but also as an edge rusher.

That was where Baun played during his four seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

"He’s played edge a little this year, and that was a role I did last year," Baun said about Campbell. "So any of the tips that I can give him, I give him. I feel like during practice, during individual drills, I’m sitting back there, watching like a coach, trying to help guys when I can, if I see something that maybe coach doesn’t.

"Each game, he’s gotten better, in my opinion. His block destruction is getting better. His run-pass read is getting better. His communication is getting better. He’s just getting better and better as we go along."

Fangio held his press conference on Sept. 23, a day before the news of Nolan Smith was known to the media, so he wasn't asked about the possibility of Jihaad Campbell taking some snaps at edge rusher. The same is true of head coach Nick Sirianni's press conference on Sept. 24.

But Fangio did say this about Campbell in the days before the game against the Rams: "Really happy to have him. I love his work ethic and his attitude, and he's doing a good job for us. His length and speed is an added bonus."

Campbell's length and speed also help as an edge rusher. Even when the Eagles drafted Campbell in the first round, at No. 31, last spring, general manager Howie Roseman made sure to point out that Campbell wasn't being confined to a certain position.

Celebrate the Eagles' Super Bowl win with our new book

For now, Campbell has almost exclusively played inside linebacker. In the spring, Fangio said that was because there was more for him to learn at that position. Then Nolan Smith aggravated the torn triceps muscle that he originally tore in the Super Bowl and had surgery on.

A team source said surgery isn't required for Smith. But he still went on IR, meaning that he'll miss at least four games.

Campbell said he's ready to pitch in wherever needed, and that he's learning a lot just from playing and seeing things he never did in college.

"These vets, these OGs, they got different tactics and different things to their game," Campbell said. "Even with the O-line and the people I go against, they got hidden clues that as a rookie coming in, I had to learn about."

When asked for an example, he mentioned watching edge rushers going against right tackle Lane Johnson.

"He’s a big, athletic guy," Campbell said about Johnson. "He’s been in the league for a long time. Let’s say a guy wants to do a spin move on him. Lane is going to spin move the other way so he can block him.

"So different athletic tactics like that. You rarely see an offensive lineman do that in college."

Campbell could be getting that kind of experience sooner than he expected.

Contact Martin Frank at [email protected]. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Can Jihaad Campbell be Eagles' outside the box Nolan Smith replacement?