Analytics Show Eagles Have NFL’s Top Linebacker Duo

Philadelphia, PA – June 12, 2025

The Philadelphia Eagles’ defense, the NFL’s best in 2024, is primed to dominate with linebackers Jihaad Campbell and Zack Baun forming what stats suggest could be the league’s premier linebacker duo. As minicamp concludes, their numbers scream elite potential.

Zack Baun, 28, exploded in 2024 with 151 tackles, 11 for loss, 3.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 4 passes defended, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery in 16 games, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. His Week 1 haul—15 tackles, 2 sacks against Green Bay—earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Baun’s two forced fumbles in a 34-6 rout of Dallas clinched another, securing first-team All-Pro honors and a top-five Defensive Player of the Year finish.

Jihaad Campbell, the Eagles’ 2025 first-round pick (31st overall) from Alabama, brings raw firepower. In 2024, he led the Crimson Tide with 117 tackles, 11.5 for loss, 5 sacks, 3 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 interception in 12 games, earning first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American nods. His 5.9% missed tackle rate and 30 coverage stops highlight his precision.

Baun and Campbell blend speed, versatility, and instinct. Baun’s 831 linebacker snaps and 160 defensive line snaps in 2024 align with Campbell’s Alabama split (637 LB, 112 DL). An NFL executive compared them to San Francisco’s Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman, predicting Vic Fangio will unleash them as blitzers in simulated pressures.

Campbell, recovering from a torn labrum, is slated to start alongside Baun, with Nakobe Dean out due to a torn patellar tendon. Their athleticism—Campbell’s explosive burst, Baun’s relentless motor—meshes with Fangio’s two-high scheme. Baun’s $51 million extension and Campbell’s top-10 draft grade signal Philly’s linebacker commitment.

Fans on X are electric: “Baun and Campbell? League’s done!” (@EaglesNation). “Best LB duo ever!” (@PhillyFanatic). Their 2024 stats—268 combined tackles, 22.5 TFL, 8.5 sacks—project a ferocious 2025.

Coach Nick Sirianni praised their synergy: “They’re our defensive soul.” As the Eagles gear up for their Brazil opener, Baun and Campbell could redefine NFL defenses. Will they reign supreme? Stay tuned to ESPN!