The Green Bay Packers defense has the potential to be one of the best units in the NFL if everything can click. There is some high-level talent present on that unit as the team has a reliable player at every level of the defense.
On the second level, De’Vondre Campbell is a reliable veteran. Campbell came out of nowhere during the 2021 season, putting together an All-Pro season after signing a one-year deal with the Packers in free agency. He finished the season with 146 total tackles, six tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.
Following that season, Campbell landed a five-year, $50 million deal to stay in Green Bay. He was productive once again in 2022, compiling 96 total tackles with 2.0 sacks and six tackles for loss. The only real difference was that he was able to play in only 13 games compared to 16 the season before.
That likely played a part in Campbell landing where he did on the top 10 off-ball linebackers rankings that ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared. Fowler compiled the rankings after talking to executives, coaches and scouts around the league and Campbell just missed the cut.
He was one of five players, along with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah of the Cleveland Browns, Jordyn Brooks of the Seattle Seahawks, Jerome Baker of the Miami Dolphins and Shaq Thompson of the Carolina Panthers to also receive votes. But, as Fowler revealed, many of the people taking part in the polling believed that the rankings were pretty interchangeable after the top two or three guys.
The Packers are going to be relying on Campbell to help set the tone at the second level of their defense as one of the veterans of the unit. If he can stay on the field and continue producing at the levels in which he has the last two seasons, it would go a long way to boosting the team’s defense.