Will Campbell didn't take the field for any of the drills during LSU's annual pro day, but he did make sure to get something straight.
That would be his arm length, which he said was mismeasured at the scouting combine earlier this offseason. The measurement on Tuesday was 33 inches, an important metric for players who want to play tackle at the NFL level. Campbell measured in at 32"5/8' over in Indy.
"Nobody really bought into it and quite frankly nobody really cares,” Campbell said, “but yea, I mean, I knew my arms were 33 inches. ... That’s why I measured in again today even though I didn’t do anything.”
Even with the corrected measurement the arm length certainly doesn't rank as optimal for the position he's aiming to play. It isn’t the end all, be all at the position, but teams look for prototypes because they have a track record of success. Campbell, one of the top offensive line prospects in the draft, dismissed that narrative and the idea that he should be considered as a guard. Campbell said he's had conversations with a slew of NFL teams, with two suggesting that he should play guard. Both cases were with teams that were already stocked at tackle.
“For 2 years nobody had any measurements on me and nobody said anything about my play," Campbell said. "So now, all of a sudden, arm length decides if I’m a good player or not. I think it’s BS, but any decision-makers in the NFL, they don’t really care. It’s all people who don’t coach, and they don’t coach for a reason.”
The Monroe native is projected to go in the top half of the first round and could certainly be a potential option for the Saints at No. 9.
JOSH WILLIAMS EXPLODES
From the most talked about player who didn't do anything on the field, to the least talked about player who does everything and never raises a fuss. Josh Williams was not the guy I expected to be writing about when I drove out to Baton Rouge this morning. He forced my hand.
It started with a 42-inch vertical leap that caught even Williams off guard. In his 8 weeks of prep for the event he'd done limited vertical training. He noted that when the process started at Exos in Pensacola, Florida, he leapt just 36 inches. Williams wasn't invited to the NFL combine, but his figure would've ranked first among running backs by a wide margin, and second among all participants.
"I think it was moreso adrenaline and really just primed and ready for today,” Williams said.
But he didn't stop there, clocking in with a 4.45 on his 40 yard dash. He let out a roar of excitement when he was told the unofficial time and didn't run again. He knew what he'd accomplished.
“Just a lot of emotions. It’s been a long journey for me in the process of getting ready for this day," Williams said. "A lot of doubts from a lot of people, a lot of people that don’t think I can run fast, thinking I’m a 4.6, possibly a 4.7, and I just had that fire in me to prove everybody wrong — anybody that thought I was gonna run slow, so that’s the type of mentality I had today.”
Williams finished off the individual drills with 23 reps on the 225-pound bench press, a mark that would've tied for first among RBs at the combine with Michigan's Donovan Edwards.
It all boils down to hard work, and that's what Williams hopes to show to whatever NFL team opts to take a chance on him this offseason.
MORE WORKOUT WARRIORS
It's tough to draw too many conclusions from work in shorts, but two guys who stood out were tight end Mason Taylor and OL Garrett Dellinger, for opposite reasons.
Taylor showed off his smooth athleticism and put down an impressive 4.65 in the 40-yard dash. He's going to be a receiving weapon from Day 1 in the NFL. But it was the strength in what's not a particularly imposing frame that stood out with 28 reps on the 225-pound bench press. That figure would've ranked 2nd at the combine.
Dellinger also flashed impressive strength with 30 reps on the bench press, but he also showed smooth movement skills and put down a 5.16 in the 40-yard dash.
I'd expect Taylor to go mid day 2, while Dellinger could be a priority free agent.
EARLY NUSS
Garrett Nussmeier is headed back to LSU for one more season, but he didn't miss the opportunity to throw in front of NFL scouts. While it was technically a day for Kyren Lacy and Williams to get in reps, the show belonged to Nussmeier.
It's certainly not atypical for the starting QB to throw in these sessions. Jayden Daniels did the same thing 2 years ago for the receivers that year. These players want to look their best, so they want the QB throwing that they're familiar with. What made this workout unique was the addition of several other receivers, including returning WRs Chris Hilton, Zavion Thomas and Aaron Anderson, along with incoming transfer TE Bauer Sharp.
Nuss, the son of new Saints OC Doug Nussmeier, will be talked about all next season as a top prospect in the 2026 class. Today was a preview.
SAINTS CONTINGENT
It certainly wasn't the biggest turnout we've ever seen from the Saints at LSU's pro day, but the numbers were still significant. Here's the list of everyone I spotted out in Baton Rouge:
- Mickey Loomis, GM
- Khai Harley, Asst. GM
- Michael Parenton, pro personnel director
- Ted Rath, pro performance director
- Brian Young, asst. DL coach
- Robert Blanton, asst. DBs coach
- TJ Paganetti, run game coordinator
It was a busy day of pro days, so the Saints personnel was a bit spread out. Still, Young, Blanton and Paganetti helped lead their respective position group drills and got a good look at the Tigers prospects on hand.