Anthony Campbell. Remember the name.
He could be this year's 53-man roster prediction bracket-buster, the surprise standout nobody saw coming. The former Miami defensive tackle has made an excellent start to training camp and could force the Packers to make a tough decision.
Devonte Wyatt, Javon Hargrave, and Chris McClellan are roster locks. It would be a shock if Karl Brooks and Warren Brinson didn't make the 53. That's five interior linemen. If Green Bay keeps a sixth, there's Nazir Stackhouse and Jonathan Ford.
Is there room for Campbell on the 53-man roster? Right now, there don't appear to be many openings. But he might give the Packers no choice after making play after play on the practice field.
"Anthony freakin' Campbell. All 6-6 of Anthony freakin' Campbell, by the way. Two more passes deflected at the line of scrimmage," Andy Herman of the Pack-A-Day Podcast said after Sunday's practice. "I've seen a couple plays where he's held up pretty good in run defense. I've not seen much from a pass-rush standpoint yet from Anthony Campbell, but he's got three passes batted down in the past two practices."
Herman also noted that Campbell has spent "a little bit" of time with the first-team defense, which is another vote of confidence.
Of the Packers' returning veterans, Stackhouse might be the most concerned about Campbell's impressive start to training camp.
Anthony Campbell could put Nazir Stackhouse's roster chances in jeopardy
It could come down to how comfortable the Packers are at nose tackle. It's unclear who their top choice will be when everyone is healthy. Javon Hargrave has experience at nose tackle, and the Packers believe rookie Chris McClellan can play there. Jonathan Ford has made some plays at camp, too, and could put himself in the mix.
If Brian Gutekunst feels comfortable with the options at nose, he could become more likely to move on from Stackhouse.
Stackhouse is coming off a disappointing rookie season. He only played 14.2 percent of the team's defensive snaps, while earning a Pro Football Focus grade of just 43.5. The hope was that Stackhouse could improve the run defense on early downs, but he received a PFF run-defense grade of only 44.5.
Campbell could throw a curveball into the Packers' defensive line plans.
Herman noted that he hasn't made much of an impact as a pass-rusher, but it's hard to argue with what he has done. Campbell has impressed in the run game, and consistently getting your hand to the ball is no fluke. He is making plays.
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There's still a long way to go. The next step is to build on this momentum when the pads go on, beginning on Monday, and then to perform well in the preseason games.
Nobody predicted Campbell would make the 53-man roster before training camp began. It's becoming a conversation.
The Packers may have a tough decision on their hands. If we assume Wyatt, Hargrave, and McClellan are the 100 percent roster locks, who misses out? Stackhouse? Ford? Would Gutekunst even consider moving on from a 2025 draft pick in Brinson, or a player with 50 appearances for the Packers in Brooks?
It's not a bad problem to have. Fortunately for the Packers, they don't need to trim their roster from 90 players to 53 until August 30.
But if Campbell can build on his performances from the first week of training camp, good luck to Gutekunst when it comes to making a decision.
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