On Thursday night, the Patriots selected Will Campbell out of LSU at No. 4 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft to be, in theory, their left tackle for the next decade-plus in New England.
At 6-foot-6 and 324 pounds, Campbell looks the part. But after a much-discussed 32 ⅝-inch arm measurement at the NFL Scouting Combine in March, Patriots fans’ mood switched from coveting the consensus top left tackle prospect to questioning whether or not head coach Mike Vrabel should attempt to trade down within the first round for a different blindside protector for quarterback Drake Maye.
In the days since the pick, a majority of fans and media have seemingly talked themselves into Campbell, no longer bothered by the arm length after hearing him say all the right things across his various media appearances since Goodell read his name on stage. The kid already carries himself like a 10-year veteran, and continually talks about how excited he is to play for a coach that’s “all ball and no BS.”
“I just want to win,” Campbell told WEEI Afternoons on Friday. “Winning takes care of everything else. So, my biggest goal is, just come in, and any type of way I can help this team improve, be the best teammate I can be, be the best leader that I can be, and just put the best product on the field every Sunday, Monday, Thursday, whatever day we play, possible.”
It certainly sounds like Campbell has the requisite dog in him to be great, but does that matter if he can’t get his hands on fast linebackers rushing off the edge?
Three-time Super Bowl champion Joe Andruzzi played nine years on the offensive line in the NFL, winning all three of his rings with the Patriots during part one of New England’s double-dynasty.
He’s not concerned with Campbell in the slightest.
“I think it’s overblown,” Andruzzi told WEEI Afternoons on Monday. “I was told I had short arms, too. And even though I’m a guard, a little different, Matt Light also - short arms, short wingspan, too short to play tackle, you know? And he had a great 11-year career [where he played in] four Super Bowls.
“I think it’s just a bunch of scout BS, you know what I mean? You know, obviously you want those long arms against guys like [Myles] Garrett, but it doesn’t always help. If you can take control, get your balance, your weight stability, I think he’s shown he can do it. He didn’t play against small schools that didn’t have pass rushers or run stuffers. So he held his own, he had a great career in college, and I look forward to watching him block for Drake.”
So while Andruzzi made it clear that the tape matters much more to him than the measureables, he did make a passing acknowledgement to wanting long arms as a tackle against edge rushers like 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
But above all else, Andruzzi believes toughness and football IQ are the most important traits a team should be looking for while team building across the board.
He believes Campbell fits those bills.
“You want tough, hard-nosed, physical players,” said Andruzzi. “And that’s at any position, not just offensive line. You also want the smart players, too. You want them to make a decision on the fly, and [Campbell] seems like he’s done that multiple years, and I think that’s why they drafted him.
“So overall, I think it’s a great pick. It would’ve been my pick if I was looking to bring a guy in and making him the draft pick. So I think Vrabel and the rest of his staff did it right over there. I mean, they got a great quarterback right now and they need to protect him.”
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