The New England Patriots are well into their pre-season, and their first real NFL game is less than four weeks away. Head Coach Mike Vrabel will begin to winnow down his roster until he gets to the magic 53 before the Raiders game on September 7.
There may be some tough decisions as veteran players who haven’t shown up may be on the cut list, as well as a whole host of others. Many who won’t be on that list are Vrabel’s 2025 draft class. Unlike the dreadful 2024 class, except for Drake Maye, the players Vrabel selected can play, and many are already making huge waves.
Potential starters include third-round pick, guard/center Jared Wilson, running back TreVeyon Henderson, and possibly even safety Craig Woodson, wide receiver Kyle Williams, and tackle Marcus Bryant. One about whom there is no question he’ll start is fourth-overall draft pick in the first round, left tackle Will Campbell.
Will Campbell has the Patriots sold on his abilities
Will Campbell enters the NFL with question marks about his combine measurables that were exaggerated and used as clickbait by media types from around the country. Campbell’s massive lack of 3/8″ of supposed minimum arm length and his narrow shoulder width were all the talk of so-called draft analysts who dwell on combine numbers rather than how a player performs on the field.
Dakota Randall of NESN has written about “How the Patriots really feel about Will Campbell…”
‘He’s tough as hell. He has “future captain’ written all over him. He’s wildly talented…Nevertheless, Campbell impressed in his preseason debut — his 85.4 Pro Football Focus grade ranked highest among all rookies — and the Patriots reportedly are high on the LSU product. NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote in an X post on Tuesday…’One team source raved his football IQ is ‘through the roof … he processes so fast and already thinks like a veteran. He has the type of football character you wanna build your program around.’ “
Fortunately, Mike Vrabel, a tested and winning NFL Head Coach and personnel evaluator, trashed all the foolish media hype and drafted Campbell without hesitation with his first draft pick ever for the team. Patriot Nation should feel quite comfortable with that rather than the media blather that might get headlines, but has little value other than copy.
Will Campbell will surpass expectations as an NFL left tackle
It’s nice to see, yet no surprise whatsoever, that the Patriots brass has been more than satisfied with their new left tackle. He was installed at that position, not at guard, as “suggested” by his combine numbers, from the get-go, and will be there for probably a decade or more for the revived Patriots team that will win with Campbell playing left tackle.
Campbell may need some time to adjust to the NFL game, as virtually every rookie NFL player does, especially at the critically important position of left tackle. There is no more important or difficult position on any NFL roster after the quarterback than left tackle. He plays on an island against some of the league’s best athletes.
Most rookies, regardless of their draft status or rating, will have an adjustment period. When you play against Micah Parsons, Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, or any other top edge rusher, they will be a challenge. For a rookie, the challenge is far greater.
Expect Campbell to take his lumps, but he’ll emerge as a top NFL pass-blocker, his arm length and narrow shoulder width notwithstanding. As Randall notes, Campbell has qualities that far surpass mere physical measurables. In addition, Campbell has a little-mentioned attribute that few if any other NFL observers have even bothered to note at all: his run blocking.
Will Campbell’s run-blocking is All-Bowl level
Will Campbell’s run blocking is not just good, it’s All-Pro exceptional. It was obvious in his LSU film. He never quits on a play or goes through the motions on the second level as many lazy offensive linemen do. He finishes every block, makes multiple blocks on any given play, and on many occasions plants his opponent, aka pancaking him into the turf.
Having seen the Patriots’ and NFL’s greatest offensive linemen ever play and watched Campbell’s LSU film, his style of take-no-prisoners run-blocking is reminiscent of how the Patriots’ and Pro Football Hall of Fame’s John Hannah approached that aspect of his game.
Run blocking is an active, not reactive, aspect of offensive football. There, the most ferocious and dedicated will excel. Campbell, like Hannah, possesses those attributes. That’s a high compliment indeed. It’s gratifying to see that the Patriots are well aware of how well Campbell will perform in all aspects of the left tackle position, on the way to making the NFL All-Rookie Team.
