On Thursday night, the Patriots selected LSU left tackle Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
As far back as last summer, Campbell has been viewed as the top left tackle prospect among this year’s draft class, as the 21-year-old was a starter all three years he played in arguably the best conference in college football.
While Campbell’s surface measurables are exactly what you’d expect from a standout left tackle from the SEC (6-foot-5 ⅞, 319 lbs.), it was his short arm length at the NFL Scouting Combine that had both fans and media begin to question if Campbell should be the guy for New England at No. 4, measuring in at 32 ⅝ inches. For context, the league average for arm length of an offensive tackle in the NFL is just over 34 inches.
His arms were short in Indianapolis, but his 40-time was the fastest among all offensive linemen in attendance, running a 4.98 with a 10-yard split of 1.76. Additionally, Campbell looked smooth and athletic working through the on-field drills, showing at least for a day that the straight-line speed on display could translate to other facets of the game.
Later that month, Campbell showed off his strength at LSU’s 2025 Pro Day, hitting 35 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds. This performance backed up his powerlifting background, with Open Powerlifting listing Campbell’s bests at 407.8 on the squat, 253.5 on the bench and 501.5 on the deadlift.
Campbell is a farmboy from Monroe, La., growing up helping his dad - a former collegiate offensive lineman nicknamed “Bull” for his time at East Texas A&M - around their property as he developed into a five-star recruit at Neville High School. When his high school career was all said and done, Campbell was the highest-rated offensive tackle prospect from the state of Louisiana in seven years. It was no surprise when Campbell committed to LSU, as he grew up a diehard Tigers fan three hours north of Baton Rouge.
Campbell went on to have a decorated collegiate career, winning individual awards in all three seasons as a starter for the Tigers:
- 2024 Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the SEC
- 2024 Consensus All-American
- 2× First-team All-SEC (2023-24)
- 2022 Second-team All-SEC as a freshman
- 2022 FWAA Freshman All-American
While Campbell’s college career, athleticism, strength and size are all in-line with what you’d want from a top five pick at left tackle, the questions surrounding his short arms will linger until real football is played this fall.
If Campbell does struggle to play the tackle position at the pro level for the Patriots, MassLive’s Karen Guregian reported in March that the Patriots are both willing and prepared to move him inside to play guard if needed.
“While Campbell has plenty of plus-traits, his arms measured 32 ⅝ inches long,” Guregian wrote at the time. “For a position where wingspan is paramount, Campbell’s short arms figure to be a problem. So much so, that he is likely to wind up playing guard.
“The Patriots like Campbell, and would be willing to try him at tackle first, before moving him to guard if need be. He’s been that impressive to some in the personnel department.”
Best case scenario for Campbell is the team’s affinity for him translating into a decade-plus starter on 22-year-old Drake Maye’s blindside.
Second-best case scenario for Campbell is becoming an elite guard for the team after a failed stint at left tackle.
There will be plenty of Patriots fans vocal about the fact that a “plan B” for their No. 4 overall pick is already being discussed. In an ideal world, armed with an exciting young QB and a proven head coach, the team won’t be picking this high ever again. Nailing a pick this high during a rebuild is paramount.
How Campbell will fare at the most important position on the offensive line at the pro-level will be apparent sooner rather than later this fall.
Campbell will be officially introduced as a Patriot at a press conference at Gillette Stadium on Friday at 3:00 p.m. ET.
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