The long-running expectation has been that the Patriots would draft Will Campbell fourth overall. The LSU offensive tackle is indeed headed to New England.
The fourth-overall selection did provide a bit of intrigue heading into the draft. Cam Ward was the expected top-overall pick, while the draft’s two blue chip prospects (Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter) were always penciled in at second and third.
There was considered a relative drop off at No. 4 (depending on your feelings about selecting RB Ashton Jeanty that early), and as a result, Campbell was often mentioned as a potential option for New England. We heard earlier today that the LSU product was the expected choice of the Patriots, especially considering the team’s need for OL depth.
The Patriots invested much of the free agency budget on the defensive side of the ball, with right tackle Morgan Moses and center Garrett Bradbury representing their major additions. With Cole Strange and Michael Onwenu at the two guard spots, the Patriots still had a hole at LT. The team will be hoping their new rookie will be capable of blocking for franchise QB Drake Maye, both now and in the future.
The consensus All-American certainly performed like an elite LT in college, but he still had plenty of question marks heading into the draft. Specifically, scouts often criticized his lack of length, making Campbell one of the more divisive prospects atop the draft board. While some believed the lineman’s poor wingspan wouldn’t impact his ability to perform in the NFL, others believed it’d ultimately lead to a position change.
The Patriots will surely be counting on Campbell to take over that LT spot for the foreseeable future. The team has struggled to find a solution at the position in recent years, and the team doesn’t really have many fallback options should Campbell fail (or need more time). The likes of Vederian Lowe and Caedan Wallace are the team’s current depth options, so the Patriots will need their rookie to succeed if they hope to take a step forward in 2025.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.