Approaching the NFL Draft, former Alabama football linebacker Jihaad Campbell is regarded as one of the top available athletic specimen. Still, when asked what his favorite part of the game was, Campbell said it was an area he felt opponents didn’t respect him enough.

“I love to show my versatility when I’m in coverage playing Tampa 2,” Campbell told reporters Wednesday in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine. “Middle runner. They think a big guy like me can’t cover those guys going down the field vertically, so I think that’s one of my biggest games.”

After playing an expanding role for the Crimson Tide in 2023, Campbell stuck around through the coaching transition from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer. He starred for the Crimson Tide in 2024, joining forces with Deontae Lawson to give UA a fearsome presence at middle linebacker.

Campbell led Alabama with 117 tackles. He earned first-team All-SEC and second-team All-America honors.

Now, he’s trying to sell NFL teams on his versatility.

“I feel as though I’m Mr. Can Do it All,” Campbell said. “I’m a Swiss Army Knife as they say. I can blitz through the A-gap, I can come off the edge. Play middle runner, Tampa 2. I can drop strong, hook, curl, mash, whatever you want me to do. I can play man-to-man on the receiver, tight end, running back, anything.”

Campbell is currently showing up in mock drafts as a late-first round pick. He’s one of two potential first-rounders from Alabama this year, along with offensive guard Tyler Booker.

During the 2024 season, Campbell upped his pass-rush game, finishing the year with five sacks. He was asked whether the increase it that stat was a concerted effort.

Campbell said he was just trying to help out where he could.

“I told my defensive coordinator and position coach, head coach, I want to be a leader,” Campbell said. “I want to be a key contributor to whatever I can do. And if that’s me going to inside backer and having somebody else go to outside backer so they can get production, that they can create their value too, and help the team, so be

The New Jersey native said he’d met with several NFL teams as of Wednesday morning, including the Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars.

He explained what he hoped to accomplish in each of his meetings with teams.

“I feel like every meeting is all about expressing myself and telling people who I am,” Campbell said. “Who I am as a person. Not only a football player, but who I am as a person. And I feel as though, not to be big on me, but I’m a genuine person. I’m a genuine guy outside of football.”

Defensive lineman and linebackers will go through combine drills Thursday in Indianapolis. The NFL Network broadcast of the proceedings is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. CT.