The Philadelphia Eagles focused on the defensive side of the ball with their first two selections in the 2025 NFL Draft, adding talent at linebacker and safety. The team made moves early in the draft process to acquire the players they targeted.
Philadelphia kicked off their draft by trading up one spot with the Kansas City Chiefs to select linebacker Jihaad Campbell out of Alabama with the 31st overall pick. The trade involved the Eagles sending their original first-round pick (No. 32) and a fifth-round pick (No. 164) to move up.
Campbell, a South Jersey native from Erial, led the Alabama defense with 117 total tackles in 2024 and earned First-Team All-SEC honors. Despite recovering from a torn labrum, he is expected to be ready for training camp, addressing a position of need for the Eagles, particularly with Nakobe Dean sidelined by injury.
On the second day of the draft, the Eagles continued to bolster their secondary. With the 64th pick overall, they selected safety Andrew Mukuba from Texas.
Mukuba previously played three seasons at Clemson before transferring to Texas for his final year, where he was named a third-team All-SEC selection. He tied for fourth nationally in the FBS with five interceptions.
A look at the Eagles' 2025 NFL Draft picks details the team's activity. The Eagles were involved in multiple trades during the initial rounds, exchanging picks with the Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, and Denver Broncos.
These moves resulted in the Eagles acquiring additional picks in later rounds, including multiple selections in the fourth and fifth rounds. As of the end of Day 2, the Eagles held several remaining picks in rounds four through six. You can review all the Round 2-3 picks on Day 2 from the overall draft tracker.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is known for his active approach during the draft, and the 2025 event proved no exception. The team reportedly attempted to trade up for Campbell multiple times before finalizing the deal with Kansas City.
The additions of Campbell and Mukuba aim to strengthen the Eagles' defense under Vic Fangio. The team's positions of need heading into the draft included defensive line and safety, alongside offensive line and tight end.
Campbell joins a recent trend of the Eagles drafting players from Alabama, following in the footsteps of players like DeVonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, and Jalen Hurts. Who is Jihaad Campbell, the Philadelphia Eagles' first pick explores the profile of the first-round selection.
Speaking after being drafted, Campbell expressed his enthusiasm for joining the team. "I want to win," he said.
