Green Bay Packers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell has given the passing defense a boost with his ability to make tackles in space and limit yards after catch.
According to Pro Football Focus, Campbell has allowed 15 catches into his coverage area through the first three games. That’s tied for the sixth-most at the position. But giving up catches doesn’t mean Campbell has struggled in coverage. What he’s done after the catch has created the positive impact for the Packers.
The 15 completions given up by Campbell have only netted 73 yards, including 40 after the catch. His six coverage “stops,” or a tackle constituting an offensive failure, are tied for the fifth-most among linebackers entering Week 4.
Consider this: opposing quarterbacks have targeted him 21 times. That means quarterbacks are averaging 3.5 yards per attempt when targeting Campbell this season, the lowest among NFL linebackers with at least 70 coverage snaps.
Of course, Campbell also has an interception, and he dropped a second interception on Sunday night in San Francisco. He’s one of just eight linebackers with an interception this season.
He did allow one touchdown in coverage, but the Packers didn’t put the blame for the passing touchdown to T.J. Hockenson in Week 2 on Campbell. In quarters coverage, the Packers wanted rookie cornerback Eric Stokes to fall off his man and help the linebacker over the top on that specific route.
On Sunday night, the matchup against George Kittle could have been a disastrous one for the Packers. But when matched up against the All-Pro tight end, Campbell gave up just two catches for 18 yards. Most of Kittle’s damage came against the slot cornerback. Campbell made two stops in coverage within a yard of the line of scrimmage against the 49ers, one on Trey Sermon and another on Deebo Samuel.
He’s doing a terrific play using his speed and sure tackling ability to get to receivers after short catches and limit the damage. The Packers will give up small gains on short passes, but limiting the play is a foundational aspect of the scheme. And Campbell is leading the way with his tackling in space.
The sample size here is small, obviously, but the early positive returns from Campbell – especially in coverage – have to be encouraging for the Packers passing defense.
[listicle id=62863]