Expectations are rising for the New England Patriots. Since the team finally got it right and hired Mike Vrabel to run the operation, the trajectory has been steadily upward. It’s no surprise that Vrabel is a pro’s pro. He’s been there and done it all, as both a player and, to an extent, a coach. He won the NFL’s Coach of the Year award in 2021. The only thing that’s eluded him is a Super Bowl win as a coach. That’s next.
There is no question about Vrabel’s proficiency as a coach or personnel evaluator. He demonstrated that in his magnificent 2025 offseason. It’s been the Patriots’ best – maybe ever. The disparity between the dreadful 2024 offseason and 2025 couldn’t be more pronounced. ‘Nuf said.
One of Vrabel’s signature statements during his A+ 2025 offseason was his selection of his first draft pick. He selected the best player at the most critical need on the team, left tackle. He drafted LSU’s dominant left tackle Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick. The expectations are high as they should be.
CBS Sports says Will Campbell has a lot to prove during his rookie season
When you get drafted high in the first round of any NFL draft, expectations will be high. Usually, the first pick would get the highest, especially if he’s a quarterback. But that’s not necessarily the case. This year, CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards has the Patriots’ offensive tackle Will Campbell on his list of rookies with the “most to prove”.
“Personally, I felt as though Campbell should be given the opportunity to begin his professional career at the position upon which he made a name for himself because of the position’s value. There was a small contingency of folks who felt Campbell’s lack of ideal arm length necessitated a move inside to guard and perhaps that would allow him to reach a higher ceiling.
The Patriots have matter of factly declared that he will be their left tackle, tasked with protecting franchise quarterback Drake Maye. Campbell is an outlier in terms of his measurables and will always carry the doubt in his left tackle capabilities with him.”
Will Campbell was drafted as a left tackle by the New England Patriots with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. While those expectations are a bit of a surprise, they should be no shock. Campbell is one of the keys to the 2025 Patriots’ season.
With the high draft status comes the lofty expectations for Will Campbell
The Patriots haven’t had a bona fide NFL left tackle since 2018, when Trent Brown performed. Since then, it’s been all downhill. Last season, the team surrendered 52 sacks, an inordinate number. They had to rectify that in a hurry. Since free agency didn’t work out, head coach Mike Vrabel drafted Will Campbell. It was an astute move.
Campbell has already been inserted into the left tackle position, and that’s not going to change. He’s the Alpha dog on the offensive line and will be his quarterback, Drake Maye’s, first line of defense against the pass rush. In 2024, no one did much to ameliorate that. Maye paid the price. 2025 will be different.
Will Campbell was Pro Football Focus’s top offensive tackle and offensive lineman in the 2025 draft. His status warranted his draft position, and it also requires that he fulfill those lofty expectations set by CBS Sports. The supposition is that he will, notwithstanding admonitions by combine measurement-stat-obsessed analysts about his lack of 3/8″ arm length and shoulder width..
Take these predictions (also predicted here that the Patriots will make the playoffs in 2025) to the bank. Will Campbell, short arms and all, will excel in protecting Drake Maye’s pocket in 2025. Lots of good things will eventuate. Additionally, he will earn the left tackle spot on the NFL’s 2025 All-Rookie team. Expectations are high, as CBS Sports suggests, and Will Campbell is poised to surpass them.
