4 early contenders for Cleveland Browns second round pick in 2023
By John Suchan
No. 2 Cleveland Browns draft prospect contender: Jack Campbell, LB
Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Jack Campbell had a stellar career in college. He’s a giant standing at 6-4 and has the natural ability to create problems for his opponent with his knack for finding the ball. He could fit in well in that middle linebacker position for the Browns if they were to draft one. He’s projected to be drafted anywhere between the second and third rounds.
Campbell has really good length and agility and is known for tackling through the player. He’s very aware of quarterback tendencies and has had some outstanding games against some high-profile quarterbacks in the past like C.J. Stroud of Ohio State.
Cleveland has a respectable linebacker crew but has suffered many injuries in that department in the past, including to Anthony Walker and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Campbell seems like a really outstanding fit for this defense and is considered strong against the run.
While at Iowa, he racked up a ton of tackles and was a menace to opponent offenses. He finished with 299 tackles, including three sacks, had 12 tackles for losses, forced three fumbles, and recovered another three more. His great length and long arms also allowed him to deflect 10 passes. He was awarded the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award and also won the Dick Butkus Award for being the best linebacker in the country,
In this season’s Ohio State game, Campbell was able to intercept a pass by Stroud and racked up nine tackles. It seems that Campbell has a knack for big moments and that’s something that the Browns should be looking for in a player.