On Friday, NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah met with the media virtually to discuss all things NFL Draft, as the first round gets underway from Green Bay, WI just six days from now.
During almost two hours of answering questions, the topic of who he thought the Patriots would be selecting No. 4 overall came up just once, 11 minutes into the discussion.
“Have you gotten any sense that the Giants are not gonna take Abdul Carter at No. 3?” asked The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin. “And then, just where do you see the Patriots going at 4? If not Will Campbell, is there a pass rusher or someone you think they might get there?”
“Yeah, I would say I feel pretty confident that they would take Abdul Carter,” said Jeremiah. “I’ve heard nothing that would sway me away from that. The last time I talked to people in that building was before they did some of these quarterback workouts, so I’ll check back in with them at the early part of next week and see if - let’s be honest, they’re probably [not] telling me anything anyway, but I can at least try and see what you can learn from that experience.
“But it feels like [Travis] Hunter 2 and Abdul Carter 3. And then with the Patriots, I just have continually heard that offensive tackle was going to be addressed, and I’ve continually heard that, you know, that that’s Will Campbell’s spot.”
While this tidbit from Jeremiah should come as no surprise to anyone who has read the tea leaves throughout this draft season, there is a faction of the fanbase that will be disappointed if Campbell is, indeed, the selection at No. 4 given his arms measuring at the NFL Scouting Combine at what would be a historically-short length for a tackle drafted that highly in the first round.
And whether it’s because of the arm length or a difference in evaluation, Jeremiah made it clear that there are teams around the NFL that agree with these fans.
“Teams are not universal in the slotting of these tackles,” said Jeremiah. “In fact, I've talked to - in the last 24 hours, 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 [had] Will Campbell at the top, I had one team that [had] Armand Membou at the top, and I had one team that [had] Kelvin Banks at the top.
“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.”
Banks is a player that has been on the radar of Patriots fans and media alike for as long as Campbell, as he and the LSU-product were seen as the top two left tackle prospects heading into the 2024 college football season. Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 315 pounds, Banks used his huge frame to have a dominant final year for Texas, ultimately filling his trophy case with accolades from his junior season - his third as a starter:
- 2024 First Team All-American (unanimous)
- 2024 First Team All-SEC
- 2024 Jacobs Blocking Trophy (nation’s best blocker at any position)
- 2024 Outland Trophy (nation’s best interior lineman)
- 2024 Lombardi Award (player who “best embodies the values and spirit of Vince Lombardi”)
Membou, on the other hand, is somewhat of a late bloomer to the Patriots draft discourse. Playing a majority of his college career at right tackle for Missouri, Membou took the combine by storm, running a 4.91 in the 40, with an accompanying impressive battle cry and 10-yard split of 1.74.
For a man standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 332 pounds, he certainly looks the part of an NFL left tackle. And with that type of athleticism on display in Indianapolis, the thought of Membou switching sides at the pro level has some fans thinking it would be light-lifting for the 21-year-old.
With Banks’ resume, tape and stature, and Membou’s money-making performance at the combine, it comes as no surprise that some teams around the league would have both of these players ranked ahead of Campbell. Even with Campbell’s impressive size at 6-foot-6 and 319 pounds to go along with an impressive performance at the combine in his own right, his 32 ⅝-inch arms are tough to look past.
But according to Jeremiah, the Patriots are planning to do just that.
Do not be surprised on Thursday when you hear these words uttered by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell:
“With the fourth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots select Will Campbell, tackle, LSU.”
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