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The New England Patriots have been struggling for multiple seasons since the end of their dominant championship run. Tom Brady last put on a Patriots uniform in the 2019 season and Bill Belichick is beginning a new chapter to his career with the University of North Carolina football team.
Head coach Mike Vrabel is trying to regain some of the luster that has been lost during the last five seasons. The Patriots have just one playoff appearance in that span and they were quickly dispatched in the 2021 Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills. New England has finished in last place in the AFC East in each of the last two seasons.
The Patriots drafted quarterback Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick in 2024 and he was able to gain a starting position during his rookie season. He flashed talent but also made his share of mistakes. The Patriots have attempted to give him significant protection by drafting Will Campbell with their first-round pick and the team is expecting him to anchor the offensive line at the left tackle position where he can protect Maye’s back side.
Campbell clearly has a lot to learn in his rookie season, but the No. 4 overall pick has made a positive first impression with the New England coaching staff.
The Patriots practiced without pads during their OTAs, and offensive line coach Doug Marrone was keeping his eye on Campbell. He liked what he saw from the 6-6, 320-pounder from LSU.
“We’re working really a ton on the details and fundamentals,” Marrone said, per Chris Mason of MassLive.com. “Every rep — he’s gotten a lot of reps — the way Coach (Mike) Vrabel has the way the practices set up, we’ve gotten a lot of great work against our defense. All those things are going to help him. He’s progressing towards when we get to training camp. So it’s been great from that standpoint.”
The level of competition that Allen will see in the NFL will go up dramatically over what he saw in college at LSU. Prior to the draft, questions were raised about Allen because of his relatively short arms. Big tackles are expected to lock out pass rushers with their significant reach, but Allen has a 32 5/8-inch arm length measurement.
If that is going to be a problem for Allen, it certainly has not shown at this point. Of course, the Patriots coaching staff is not worried about that. The only thing Marrone and Vrabel want to see from Allen at this point is for him to learn his assignments and put in the work that is needed to get better on an every-day basis.
During his college career, Allen used his strength to hold off opposing pass rushers and provide an excellent pocket. Allen’s ability has led to significant confidence, and he believes that he is capable of winning the battle on nearly every snap of the ball.
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