Eagles fifth-round sleeper named best rookie at camp

Forget the draft order. Forget the headlines. Forget the hype. The best rookie at Eagles training camp so far isn’t first-round pick Jihaad Campbell — it’s fifth-rounder Smael Mondon, and he’s playing like he has something to prove.

While most of the attention this offseason was focused on high-profile additions and recovering stars, Mondon quietly showed up, strapped on his pads, and went straight to work. Now, a week into camp, he’s not just getting first-team reps — he’s earning them.

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With Zack Baun nursing a back injury and Nakobe Dean still on the PUP list, the linebacker room has been wide open. And while Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has been solid filling in next to Baun, it’s Mondon who’s made the biggest splash. The fifth-round pick out of Georgia has been flying all over the field, including locking up Saquon Barkley on a wheel route and breaking up a would-be touchdown from Jalen Hurts. Meanwhile, Campbell got cooked on a similar play by second-year running back Will Shipley. That’s not a great look when you’re supposed to be the future at the position.

Eagles Linebacker Room Suddenly Looks Stacked

Jeff McLane said it best — this might be the most talented group of off-ball linebackers the Eagles have had in two decades. Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean, Trotter Jr., Jihaad Campbell, and Smael Mondon are all legit. There are no camp bodies or feel-good undrafted free agents just hoping to stick around. Every guy in that room can play, and Mondon’s proving that he’s not just in the mix, he might actually be leading it.

The Eagles haven’t exactly valued the linebacker position over the years, but it’s clear that Vic Fangio is changing that, and Howie Roseman actually listened for once. Thank God.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves — Mondon still has to stack good practices, stay healthy, and prove it in preseason games. But for now, he’s already done something that very few fifth-rounders do: made people forget where he was drafted.

Eagles fans love a good underdog story. And right now, Smael Mondon is writing one hell of a chapter.