Patriots Set on ‘Well-Liked’ Prospect, Draft Insider Says

The first four picks of the NFL Draft look like a carousel of options, but the New England Patriots had a choice set in stone according to a major draft insider.

NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah said as much during Friday’s media conference call ahead of the draft, April 24-26 in Green Bay. The Patriots have a plethora of needs, and there’s been trade rumors regarding the No. 4 pick.

The Tennessee Titans appear set on Miami quarterback Cam Ward, and then, the Cleveland Browns are on the clock followed by the New York Giants. Speculation has abounded on which direction each of those teams will go because quarterback is a glaring need for both, but the immediate top prospects after Ward aren’t quarterbacks.

“It feels like Hunter [at No.] 2 and then Abdul Carter [at No. 3]. And then with the Patriots, I just have continually heard that offensive tackle was going to be addressed, and I have continually heard that that’s Will Campbell’s spot,” Jeremiah said. “Teams are not universal in the slotting of these tackles. In fact, I’ve talked to … three teams who aren’t in the range to take tackles so they can give me an honest answer of how they stack these guys.”

“And I had one team that was a Will Campbell at the top, I had one team that was Armand Membou at the top, and I had one team that was Kelvin Banks at the top,” Jeremiah added. “So it’s not universal around the league, but the feeling in talking to folks is that Will Campbell is really well-liked inside that building in New England.”

The 6-foot-6, 319-pound LSU junior tackle could give Patriots quarterback Drake Maye a chunk of that extra protection he needs going into year two of his career. Campbell, the Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner, made All-American last year and landed on the All-SEC first team for a second-straight year.

Will Campbell Has Impressed Overall in Draft Process

GettyWill Campbell is considered the top offensive tackle prospect in the draft.

Pro Football Focus gave him a 72.2 overall grade, and PFF’s Mason Cameron called him a fit for the Patriots. That’s despite Campbell’s weaknesses, which Cameron highlighted.

“Arm length concerns haven’t seemed to shake Mike Vrabel or Doug Marrone’s belief in Campbell as the top tackle prospect in the class, and the Patriots have a dire need at the position,” Cameron wrote. “Campbell’s 85th-percentile PFF grade on true pass sets throughout his SEC career could be a major boost to a New England offensive line that finished last in tackle pass-blocking grade (52.4) in 2024.”

PFF still considers Campbell the top offensive tackle prospect in the draft ahead of Missouri’s Armand Membou. Campbell ranks No. 6 overall on PFF’s big board.

“Campbell is an offensive lineman’s offensive lineman,” PFF’s Trevor Sikkema wrote on April 16. “He approaches the position with excellent respect for what it takes to be great in the trenches: fundamentals, IQ and competitive toughness. His length and flexibility limitations might push him inside in the NFL, but this is a starting-caliber player at all five spots on the line.”

Will Campbell’s Arm Length a Concern

Campbell received an 85 score at the NFL Combine amid his 4.98-second 40-yard dash, 32-inch vertical jump, and 9-foot-5 broad jump. His arm measurement of 32 ⅝ inches remain a question mark when most starting tackles in the NFL have at least 33-inch arms per Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar.

“The obvious question is, is arm length really that important that it’s a deal-breaker for Campbell to play tackle? The answer is nuanced, but his poor length forces Campbell to be aggressive in pass protection by setting out to establish first contact,” Lazar wrote on March 3. “By doing so, he tends to drift outside, opening the inside track to the quarterback for rushers to cross his face. In other words, his lack of length shows up on film, which is why it’s such a talking point.”

If the Patriots draft Campbell, Vrabel and company will find out the answer if Campbell’s arm length matters on Sundays as much as it has since the combine.

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