Arm length be darned, Mike Vrabel sees Will Campbell as a left tackle.
The Patriots head coach sat down with media at the Annual NFL League Meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, and said he’s seen enough from the elite prospect’s college tape to determine he should be projected as a tackle in the NFL draft.
“I don’t understand how you could watch him play in the SEC, which is the best conference in college football, against guys that are going to get drafted, at that position. I don’t think you have to project it. You can just actually watch it and say, there’s his snaps at left tackle and evaluate it, and see what you think,” Vrabel said.
Campbell, 21, has been knocked by some draft watchers for the 32 5/8-inch arm length he recorded at the NFL combine. The common consensus around the NFL is that 33 inches is the minimum length for professional left tackles. But early last week, Campbell attended his alma mater LSU’s pro day and clocked in a 33-inch measurement.
New England holds the No. 4 overall pick in the draft and is currently without a starting left tackle.
Vrabel was clearly optimistic about Campbell, but he also briefly touched on Armand Membou – another tackle from Missouri who’s rocketing up some mock drafts after an impressive combine showing.
“Will’s got a lot of snaps at left tackle, Membou’s played right. There’s a lot of guys that have played right and left, and switched. So those are two good young players to talk about in that conversation, but there’s others as well,” Vrabel said.
The draft is now less than a month away, and Vrabel didn’t sidestep the importance of getting New England back on track with prospects after years of less productive Aprils.
“It’s tough, it catches up with you. If you don’t draft well, you’ve got to chase in free agency and you’ve got to perfect.”
Nobody knows for sure whether quarterback prospects Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders will go in picks ahead of the Patriots’ spot, and that’s likely to be a major factor in whether the Patriots pick defensive end Abdul Carter or cornerback/receiver hybrid player Travis Hunter, or trade back. Vrabel said he believes Hunter would have to have a “primary” focus in the NFL in one position to play detail-oriented professional football.
But he didn’t close the door on trading back, at all.
“I think we’d be open to everything that we felt like could help the football team. I think that’s what we have to do, whether that’s stick and pick a player or, if somebody has an offer for us, I think we’d be willing to listen. But there’s a lot of options we have to consider that could help the team,” he said.
When asked whether he’s gotten any clarity on where picks might go in the draft, he volleyed the question back at reporters.
“Nope, do you have any idea? You tell me who goes one, two, and three, and I’ll tell you who goes four.”