Three members of the Green Bay Packers were selected to The Associated Press’ All Pro Team for 2021. For quarterback Aaron Rodgers, it was the fourth time he was named All Pro. For wide receiver Davante Adams, it was his second consecutive appearance on the All Pro Team. Both of those players have been there before and both expected to be named All Pro again. But the third Packer was a bit of surprise: inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell.
Before joining the Packers, Campbell had played five seasons in the NFL. His first four years were spent in Atlanta. In 2020, he moved on to the Arizona Cardinals. In each of his five seasons in the league, Campbell was a starter and a consistent performer. He never started fewer than 10 games in a season and was considered reliable but he also never received serious Pro Bowl consideration let alone votes for the All Pro team.
The Packers signed Campbell as a free agent on June 9 during minicamp. He signed a one-year, $2 million deal and was expected to compete for a starting spot at inside linebacker. Matt LaFleur knew Campbell from his days with the Atlanta Falcons and he was in favor of signing the former University of Minnesota star. His signing did not make headlines. The Packers have not placed an emphasis on the inside linebacker position for many years and it seemed like Campbell’s signing was nothing new.
But when Campbell got to training camp, the Packers quickly realized they had added a player who could improve the defense. Campbell had more speed than recent inside linebackers like Blake Martinez and Antonio Morrison. He also had a high football IQ and was able to put himself in the right position to make plays. He was a sure tackler, good in coverage and turned out to be a good fit in Joe Barry’s defense.
“De’Vondre has been lights out,” Matt LaFleur said early in training camp. He’s done a great job. I think he’s done a really nice job of picking up what we’re asking him to do at a quick rate.”
Campbell became a difference maker in the defense once the season started. He led the team with 146 total tackles, 102 of them solo. He recorded six tackles for loss, two sacks and intercepted two passes. He also broke up five passes, forced two fumbles and recovered one.
Campbell is also a sure tackler. According to Pro-football-reference.com, he missed only four tackles all season. In addition, when receivers covered by Campbell make a catch, they rarely gained many yards after the catch. The linebacker makes the tackle quickly and doesn’t allow small plays to become big gains.
Campbell also provided leadership to the defense. He called the defensive signals and made sure his teammates were in the proper position.
“He’s wearing a lot of hats for us,” LaFleur said in October. “He’s obviously the guy communicating out there, but he’s in all those different personal groupings and asked to fill multiple responsibilities. We’re lucky we have him. He’s definitely been productive. But he’s also been a great asset to our locker room. He’s earned the respect of his teammates. That was a really great pickup for us.”
Campbell started 16 games for the Packers. He was in Covid protocols but that coincided with the bye week and he did not miss a game as a result. After the Packers clinched the top seed in the NFC, Campbell was held out of the season finale against the Lions.
By making the AP first-team All-Pro Team, Campbell made history. The last Packers middle linebacker to earn that honor was Hall of Famer Ray Nitschke who did it back in 1966.
Incredibly, Campbell while he earned All Pro honors, Campbell was not voted to the Pro Bowl. A similar thing happened to left tackle David Bakhtiari in 2018.
“I think everybody on this football team, in this building and around the league that really knows what’s going on knows that he’s been a tremendous player this season for us,” LaFleur said after Campbell was passed over for the Pro Bowl. “He’s been a tremendous player this season for us and he’s a big reason why we’ve been able to have so much success not only on the defensive side of the ball but as a football team.”
Campbell has been a great addition to the Packers lineup this season. He went from an afterthought to an impact player in one season. Now the playoffs await. Campbell has played in one Super Bowl with Atlanta after the 2016 season. He would love another chance to win a title this year with Green Bay.
You can follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers