Oh I think it’s come out now that we could not have gotten him in the late 2nd, apparently the Giants were about to pounce at… 24? 25? A few picks later.
I was hoping Gonzalez was going to last to 18. My final mock had Gonzalez at 6 and Gibbs at 18. Trading down to 12 and Gonzalez still being there was amazing. I was one of the few that was super excited when we ended up with Gibbs as I already had him slated for 18. Gonzalez almost made it to 18.
I wonder what it would have taken to trade UP from 18 to get up to 15 or 16 to take Gonzalez.
1 Like
I wanted JSN at 6, so I was shocked when he was still there at 18 and wanted him desperately. Then the commish started the pick by saying “Jack…” and I thought he was gonna finish it with “…son Smith-Njiigba” and got excited lol. Campbell has turned out to be a much better player than I expected, though.
4 Likes
Under Aaron Glenn, Detroit developed a reputation for aggressive man coverage. When Sheppard took over in 2025, he largely maintained that philosophy.
But in 2026, he’s moved toward a zone-heavy approach, particularly Cover 3.
Why does this matter for Campbell?
Consider the difference between his responsibilities.
In man coverage:
Campbell generally knows whom he’s responsible for covering. He can use his size, strength, athleticism, and recognition to follow his assignment.
He can play aggressively.
In Cover 3:
Campbell is frequently responsible for an underneath zone.
He has to read the quarterback, recognize developing routes, maintain proper depth, pass receivers between coverage areas, and respond appropriately to play-action.
Cover 3 isn’t simply about standing in an assigned area. In many versions, linebackers have pattern-matching responsibilities that change based on which routes develop.
A defender who makes one incorrect read can leave a substantial opening behind him.
That’s exactly the type of mistake Campbell has been making.
I found an October 6 film study by Jeff Risdon examining Campbell against Carolina, Buffalo and the Jets.
Risdon identified a recurring problem.
Campbell is frequently too shallow in his zone drops.
For example, against Carolina, the Panthers repeatedly used play-action to manipulate him.
Campbell would initially react toward the line of scrimmage.
Then, when he realized the play was a pass, he would hesitate before retreating into coverage.
That hesitation created openings behind him.
On one particular play, Carolina attacked Campbell’s zone almost immediately after the snap.
And the Panthers kept doing it.
Risdon also documented examples where Campbell recognized his man-coverage assignment immediately and stayed with the receiver exceptionally well.
His conclusion wasn’t that Campbell had lost his athletic ability.
It was that Campbell wasn’t consistently processing the new responsibilities quickly enough.
3 Likes
This is probably the most revealing evidence from last Sunday’s game.
Against Green Bay, Campbell recorded:
- 11 tackles, leading Detroit.
- 84.1 PFF run-defense grade.
- Eight receptions allowed on eight targets.
- 78 receiving yards surrendered.
- 146.9 passer rating allowed in coverage.
Derrick Barnes also struggled in coverage, allowing seven completions on 11 targets for 81 yards.
Notice the contrast.
Campbell was excellent against the run but vulnerable against the pass
If Campbell were simply declining physically or had somehow lost the ability to play linebacker, you’d expect broader problems throughout his game.
Instead, his run defense against Green Bay was outstanding.
His biggest problems were in coverage.
That points toward a combination of technique, recognition, assignment execution, and scheme fit.
Brian Branch’s return could change everything
He immediately produced an interception and an excellent overall performance.
Now consider the schematic implications.
When Branch and Kerby Joseph are unavailable, Sheppard has fewer options for disguising coverage and rotating defensive backs after the snap.
He’s also more dependent on his linebackers to properly defend intermediate passing routes.
With Branch back, Detroit has an outstanding defensive back who can operate around the line of scrimmage, play in the slot, support the run, and help defend underneath passing routes.
That gives Sheppard more flexibility.
He can potentially shift some coverage responsibilities away from Campbell and use Branch to help control the middle of the field.
Branch also gives Detroit more opportunities to mix coverage structures without leaving inexperienced safeties in difficult assignments.
1 Like
Campbell
Campbell had a bad break when he tripped on good coverage an fell result a TD He also had good coverage week before when the WR made a super great catch toe tap in endzone. Sometimes you get beat bad on freak slip or great catch. Over al i think he is getting better an reacting faster . With BB back an improved Safety play he will react faster knowing behind him the play is a lot better.
1 Like
Like I suggested before, elite 2 down backer. On 3rd down, Jack needs to stand on the sidelines IMO. It’s not even an insult. He can still be a great player, playing 67 percent of the snaps.
1 Like
I am done talking to you. I have given plenty of explanations as to what is possibly going on. Many people on this board of given plenty of explanations. Keep posting random numbers. @DeadStroke you are not. Pontificate away.
Its not just him tho.
Theres been multiple plays all season. Where theres supposed to be a zone switch and the 3 dbs are standing there like the spider man meme.
And none of them collapse the zone untill after the ball is already almost there,
when there is that kind of contestant breakdown of assignments on all levels. Then its COACHING.
Watching the all 22. There were several times. Zone coverage in vs 12/13 personnel. Likely run play. They play zone. Hutch beats the Ot. But they play action. It freezes hutch. But its a pass. And aiden gets there too late.
The problem? The run was the OPPOSITE way. And Jack campbell has the zone coverage literally 3 yards behind him. it has happened multiple times.
So when every player on defense seams like they are lost. Maybe its not the players regressing. Maybe its poor coaching
2 Likes
You and me were super high on JSN
This wr room would have Been CRACKED with him
2 Likes
i was mega high on him too. I wouldn’t trade Gibbs for him but fuuuuuuuck this WR group would be stupid.
that rose bowl game was bananas.
People really thought he was just a slot guy but I disagreed with it.
He was downright disgusting his last year at OSU and that is WR university (outside of Marv… man what a historic bust in someways)
1 Like
no idea what’s going on with Jack, but all the best players mess up at times, it’s called human error, unintentional incidents.
1 Like
I don’t know, bro. I remember the Tahir Whitehead years (thinking about LB’s getting carried 3+ yards while getting tackled). I’ve seen Jack flat flying downhill and meeting the RB with violence. Even year 1 when everyone was hating on him, I was noticing how quickly/violently he played downhill.
then we did brilliant things like trying to play him as a 34 OLB.
When it’s him, AA and Rodrigo out there, he looks great. When it’s him and Barnes? Confusion and hesitation. Well, that’s an overstatement… they do play well together sometimes, but then there are moments that lead to threads like this.
1 Like
Oh I agree he is a solid tackler and he drives the guy back or stops him in his tracks. It is the speed my friend. I would like to see more legit speed at LBer and I get it everyone does.
6’2” 240 running a 4.5/4.6 is the guy everyone wants
But I guess I would modify this by saying I would like to see more potential for play making. And maybe LBs just don’t really do that to be honest.
1 Like
I got lost in the JSN pre-draft thread the other day (someone randomly liked one of my posts in there recently), was a pretty interesting look back down memory lane:
2 Likes
I just scanned that entire thread to make sure i sounded sane. Thankfully I did. Props to you and Air among some others
4 Likes
Yes. Brother there are several screenshots of Reed in the same exact type of coverage and he still got burned. That shit happens sometimes.. They get paid to make plays too.