NFL Draft Could Send HoCo Native Down Pro Football Path

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Ellicott City native Chance Campbell has dreamed about playing in the NFL for years. When the NFL draft kicks off April 28, Campbell just might be picked to go pro.

ABC7 Sports Anchor Scott Abraham spoke with the Ole Miss linebacker about what he would bring to a professional team if drafted.

"I think you're going to get a super productive player. I think I do everything that you want in the NFL game from a linebacker standpoint," Campbell told Abraham. "I'm like the quarterback of the defense, I'm a guy that can get people set up and that's something that's super important. You want a guy that can be productive on his own but also helps the team change. Sometimes you can say these things, but I went and did that at Ole Miss, which is nice and I feel like I have a little bit more credibility when I say that."

Born and raised in Howard County, Campbell played the majority of college ball at the University of Maryland. This past season, he was a graduate transfer at Ole Miss, posting 109 total tackles. Campbell also registered an impressive combine performance, running a 4.57 40-yard dash and jumped 39.5' in the vertical jump.

ABC7 shared that he likely could get selected on the third day of the draft.

"It's really cool. It's a dream, but it's kind of like a plan. As you get older, it materializes a little bit and becomes a little bit more concrete," Campbell said. "When I was little, my dream wasn't to walk across the stage and shake Roger Goodell's hand. My dream was to go play good ball in the NFL. It's really cool that this is here. It's kind of like a starting line, so that's what I'm most excited about, getting somewhere where I can really notch away some of those things that I have written down a long time ago."

The NFL draft starts April 28 on 7News.