New England Patriots select Will Campbell in 1st round of 2025 NFL Draft

After a standout career at LSU, Will Campbell is heading to the NFL. The star offensive lineman has heard his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The New England Patriots selected Campbell in the first round of the draft. One of the top offensive line prospects, he was a consensus All-American at LSU in 2024 after putting together a huge season as the Tigers’ left tackle.

Campbell also won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the SEC, given to each conference’s best blocker. On the whole, he was a two-time first team All-SEC selection and was named second team All-SEC as a freshman in 2022.

During his time at LSU, Campbell played all but two snaps at left tackle. The meant he played 2,548 career snaps at the position, although questions rose about whether he’d end up moving to the interior offensive line at the next level.

Campbell’s arms measured at 33 inches at the NFL Scouting Combine, which led some – such as ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. – to wonder if a shift inside would work better for him. He also ran a 4.98-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, which ranked fifth among offensive linemen who participated in the event.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Will Campbell

Will Campbell’s athleticism was on display in the SEC, going up against some of the best pass rushers in college football. To NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, there’s reason for concern about Campbell’s short arms when the pressure ramps up, but there could be a road to staying at left tackle rather than shifting to guard.

“Athletic left tackle prospect who’s durable and battle-tested but has elements of high risk, high reward in his game,” Zierlein wrote. “Campbell is a thumping run blocker who can clear out B-gaps with forceful down blocks and displace base blocks with his ‘strike and run’ technique. He struggles to win laterally, though. He will lunge and miss against stunts and movement. Campbell operates with good athleticism and agility in pass protection but is way too leaky against inside moves. He has a jarring, heavy punch and can latch in to control the rep.

“However, he has short arms and when he’s beaten to first action, the footwork and technique go out the window, forcing him to scramble and survive to save the pocket. His play is determined, spirited and aggressive, which works in his favor, but Campbell must learn to vary his pass-set technique and operate with optimal hand timing in order to thrive at tackle instead of being moved to guard.”

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