New England Patriots - NESN.com
Andrew Whitworth heard the pre-draft conversation, but isn’t willing to bet against Patriots first-round pick Will Campbell.
“I mean to me, really, sometimes some of these people with that stuff, it just shows me how little they effing know about the position, and how much they really are just guessing at who’s a good lineman and who’s not,” Whitworth told NESN.com during a video interview, which you can watch here.
The Patriots drafted Campbell with the fourth overall pick despite questions pertaining to his length, and how it might impact his long-term spot at left tackle. Whitworth, who played 16 seasons in the NFL and became a legendary blindside protector, believes the Patriots are taking the right approach as they fully intend for him to play the blindside.
“To me, it’s about your ability to be assigned a task and find a way to get that task done,” Whitworth said. “Are you made up of the kind of stuff it takes to down in and down out play consistent football at a really high level?”
Campbell is built that way, Whitworth said. The two have formed a relationship given their roots in northern Louisiana and respective tenures at LSU.
Whitworth’s sentiments are similar to what Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel expressed. Vrabel watched the tape and saw Campbell excel at left tackle against SEC competition. He allowed five sacks in 2,553 pass-blocking snaps during his three seasons in Baton Rouge.
Campbell played against players he’ll face on Sundays, Whitworth said.
“You can’t take away from these guys that play on the highest level that way and play that many years of it,” Whitworth said.
A two-time All-Pro and Super Bowl champion, Whitworth reflected on his own weaknesses when entered the league as a second-round pick out of LSU. His length wasn’t a question standing at 6-foot-7 with 35-inch arms at the NFL scouting combine. However, Whitworth cited the critiques about his thin lower half, and how it was believed he might have trouble standing up against rushes and susceptible to low cuts. Whitworth also noted his weakness when it came to kick outs, a product of playing tight end in high school and not being fully developed with that skillset.
“But I was able to figure it out, right? I was able to find, ‘What’s my style going to be? How am I going to play?'” Whitworth said. “Because I knew what my detriments were. I knew what my weaknesses were.
“So for Will, it’s going to be the same thing: Do you have a relentless passion to figure out the way it is that you can play your absolute best?”
Campbell, Whitworth believes, will do that. He’ll work to develop his toolbox behind the scenes as any great player does. It’s why Whitworth is confident Campbell will overcome the perceived shortcomings from those externally.
“Will is built like that, to go chase it that way,” Whitworth said. “I think that’s what I would hold a lot of confidence in...
