New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots have high hopes for their 2025 NFL Draft class. And yet, it’s clear that among their group of incoming rookies, no one is more important than former LSU Tigers left tackle Will Campbell.
Selected with the No. 4 overall pick, the Patriots brought Campbell to town with the intention of him being their starter at left tackle come Week 1. Sure enough, Campbell has held down the fort from the get-go, and he’s generally held up well when protecting quarterback Drake Maye’s blindside.
During his time in college with LSU, Campbell enjoyed a strong career, earning All-American honors in 2024. While there were concerns about his arm length ahead of the draft, Campbell’s dominant play during his time with the Tigers eased New England’s fears.
Still, making the leap from college to the NFL is a big one, and that’s not something that is lost on Campbell. When discussing that transition, Campbell admitted that in the NFL, there are no days off, even if you are going up against the worst team in the league.
“In college, you play a good team and a bad team, and the bad team doesn’t have good players,” Campbell said when speaking with reporters recently. “The bad teams in the NFL still have Pro Bowlers, so that’s the difference.”
Right off the bat, Campbell is going to have his work cut out for him. In the first three games of the regular season, he will find himself lined up against guys like Maxx Crosby, Bradley Chubb, and T.J. Watt, each of whom is among the best defensive linemen in the league.
How Campbell and the rest of the offensive line hold up against these vaunted pass rushers will play a big role in determining how the offense as a whole fares. So far, Campbell has held up well, but the real test will come once the regular season gets underway.
