Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Will Campbell Turning Heads in New England – Patriots May Have Found Maye’s New Blindside Protector

Patriots could have a permanent solution at left tackle with Campbell

Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots were one of the worst teams in the league last season, and after finishing with a 4-13 record, they held the number 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. With that pick, they drafted offensive tackle Will Campbell, who was easily considered the top O-lineman in the draft class.

There were multiple problem areas for the Patriots last season, but one of the major concerns revolved around the offensive line. In fact, New England was at the bottom of the pile when it came to pass blocking win rate (51%) and second to last in run blocking win rate (67%).

WOW: #PATRIOTS ROOKIE TACKLE WILL CAMPBELL IS RUNNING OVER DEFENDERS AND DOMINATING THEM.

New England has their tackle for the next decade.

👿👿👿pic.twitter.com/rfzho1pnuk
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) August 8, 2025

Will Campbell Showing Plenty of Promise

In addition to the Patriots having a terrible O-line last season, New England has been having a tough time finding a permanent solution at left tackle. They have gone year-to-year looking for an answer, but to no avail.

All that could change now, though, as rookie tackle Will Campbell has been lighting it up in training camp. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports that Campbell has taken every rep at left tackle, and more importantly, the Patriots are happy with what they are seeing from the young 21-year-old.

Schultz also reported that “One team source raved his football IQ is through the roof… he processes so fast and already thinks like a veteran. He has the type of football character you wanna build your program around.”

#Patriots rookie OT Will Campbell has taken virtually every rep at LT — and the team loves what they’ve seen. Despite some questioning if he’ll be a left tackle in the NFL, he’s delivered exactly as expected.

One team source raved his football IQ is “through the roof… he… pic.twitter.com/wQuOO51ppG
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 12, 2025

Also considering Campbell’s recent outing in the team’s first preseason game against the Commanders, the rookie played at quite a high level. Sure, Campbell was not perfect, but as a rookie playing his first game at this level, he more than stood his ground. And in his 14 offensive snaps, he didn’t allow a single quarterback pressure.

This comes as somewhat of a surprise to many, as there were plenty of doubts cast over Campbell’s ability to succeed at the left tackle position, even though he had done a fine job throughout his college career.

Why Are There Doubts Over Campbell Succeeding at Left Tackle?

Campbell’s ability as a football player, and that too as an offensive lineman, is not in question. But what was concerning prior to the draft was whether he could hold his own as the blindside protector.

The reason for this lies in his physical attributes. Despite standing at a height of 6 feet 6 inches, his arm length and wingspan are less than the average left tackle. Campbell’s arm length is a little under 33 inches, which is not so bad, as the average in the league at the position is around 33.5 inches.

Will Campbell in his NFL debut:

🛡️ 85.4 PFF grade
🛡️ 8 pass-blocking snaps
🛡️ 0 pressures allowed pic.twitter.com/RA05Cz81Ca
— PFF (@PFF) August 10, 2025

However, his wingspan is considerably less at just 77 3/8-inch, while the average in the league is 80.8 inches. This makes him one of the narrowest offensive tackles the league has seen in the past 25 years.

Despite the size issue, it seems that there is no stopping Campbell from being a future great of the game, even if he plays out his career at left tackle. The Patriots are excited for their future, and with the way things are panning out, they seem to have finally found their answer.

Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

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Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!