In a Packers defensive line room still waiting for Javon Hargrave and Devonte Wyatt to get fully right, Anthony Campbell has started forcing his way into the conversation.
The 6-foot-6, 307-pound newcomer has spent most of his football life out of the spotlight, but he’s made enough noise early in camp to at least put himself in the mix for Green Bay’s 53-man roster. Over the Packers’ last three practices, Campbell has knocked down as many as four passes, and he backed that up with a clean 4-0 showing in one-on-one pass-rushing work yesterday, according to Pete Dougherty. His victims included 2025 second round pick Anthony Belton twice, 2026 fifth rounder Jager Burton once, and 2026 undrafted free agent Josh Gesky once.
That’s not exactly a parade of elite blockers, but it is a real test. Belton, Burton and Gesky all matter in the Packers’ offensive line picture, and Campbell handled them well.
The surprise is Campbell himself. He’s been easy to miss for most of his journey, and that has been true at just about every stop.
Even the photo attached to this story tells part of the tale: Campbell, wearing No. 60, is barely noticeable, and it’s apparently the only image of him in either Getty Images or USA Today’s databases. He doesn’t even get top billing over the similarly unheralded Jaden Crumedy.
So how did he get here?
Campbell was a three-star recruit at Bartow High School in Florida, and his road to the NFL wound through plenty of stops. He played tight end and defensive end in high school, and one of the highlights was a 79-yard scoop and score on a fumble recovery. From there, he spent two years at Independence Community College in Kansas before moving on to the University of Louisiana Monroe.
At UL-Monroe, Campbell played in 17 games over two seasons and finished with 13 total tackles and the only sack of his college career. He then transferred to Miami, which put him about four hours from home.
His role with the Hurricanes was limited: one game in 2023, eight more in 2024. As a senior, he played just 47 snaps, though 10 of them came at nose tackle.
That may have reflected the added bulk he carried - he was listed at 277 pounds at UL-Monroe and at 300 pounds at Miami.
His pre-draft work helped a little, but not enough to generate much buzz. Campbell posted a 9-foot, 3-inch broad jump and a decent 40-yard dash time for a man with his frame, yet he still projected as an undrafted free agent. Dane Brugler ranked him as the 115th best defensive lineman out of 240 in the 2025 edition of The Beast.
After the draft, Campbell signed with the Seahawks following minicamp tryouts with the Vikings and Eagles. He played 23 snaps across Seattle’s three preseason games and then signed to the Seahawks’ practice squad on September 2, 2025.
That stay lasted only a day. In a set of transactions that ended up mattering to Packers fans, former Packers defensive back Shemar Jean-Charles, current Packers running back Damien Martinez and one other player were released to make room for Campbell and two others on Seattle’s practice squad, only for all six players to swap places again the next day.
Now two of those six are in Green Bay.
Campbell eventually landed with the Packers during a late-season roster shuffle before their playoff game against the Chicago Bears. He was one of 29 roster moves in a 13-day stretch and joined the practice squad, though he did not get into that playoff game.
Isaiah Neyor was the only practice squad elevation. Still, Green Bay liked him enough to sign him to a reserve/future deal two days after the collapse in Chicago.
Now he’s back in the fight, and the opening is there. The Packers’ defensive line has been a problem area for years, and injuries up front left them stretched thin at times last season.
Campbell doesn’t need to become a headline player. If he can be a useful depth piece, that would matter.
The path won’t be simple. Wyatt, Hargrave and 2026 third-round pick Chris McClellan look like the clearest roster names.
Karl Brooks, in his fourth year, and second-year Warren Brinson also look like strong bets. That already puts five spots spoken for, which leaves Campbell battling Nazir Stackhouse and others for a job that might not even be there.
Still, Campbell has made a habit of showing up where few expected him. He’s done it at nearly every level. One more surprise run wouldn’t fit the script, but at this point, he’s earned the right to keep writing one.
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