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Who is Will Campbell, the Patriots first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft?

Posted on April 25, 2025 - 1:57 am by

Who is Will Campbell, the Patriots first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft?

Will Campbell’s new job will be protecting Drake Maye in New England. The Patriots drafted the now-former LSU tackle with the fourth overall pick Thursday night in the 2025 NFL Draft, hoping he’ll lock down the left side of the offensive line for the next decade-plus.

Campbell fought back tears while he was being interviewed on NFL Network after being taken by New England. He immediately endeared himself to Patriots fans when asked about the tone he’ll set along the offensive line.

“I’m going to fight and die to protect them with everything I’ve got,” said Campbell.

Campbell put together and incredible three-year career at LSU where he barely let his quarterback hit the turf. He’s one tough guy on the field, a hard-nosed leader in the locker room, and someone who never takes any nonsense from the opposition. He’s the kind of player Mike Vrabel loves to have at his disposal, and Campbell should make the Patriots offensive line much better on Day 1 of his NFL career.

For a New England team that allowed its quarterbacks to be sacked 52 times last season, Campbell should be exactly what the Patriots need to build up Maye’s offensive line. But while Campbell racked up awards and recognition during his career with the Tigers, there are question marks about what he’ll be in the NFL. 

Two question marks, actually, and big ones at that. Big questions about small arms, that is.

Here’s everything you need to know about the newest member of the New England Patriots, Will Campbell. 

Who is Will Campbell?

The 21-year-old Campbell was born January 6, 2004 — about a month before the Patriots won the franchise’s second Super Bowl — in Monroe, Louisiana. He grew up rooting for LSU and committed to the school after a stellar career at Neville High School, where he started as a right tackle before moving to the left side.

Campbell stands at 6-foot-6 tall and weighed in at 319 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, so he’s got the ideal size for an NFL left tackle. But there are some concerns about his arm measurements, which came in a bit short for an NFL tackle.

Will Campbell isn’t worried about his arm measurements

Campbell’s arms measured at 32 5/8 inches, which is just a hair shy of the 33-inch benchmark for the typical NFL left tackle. (His arms did measures at 33 inches at LSU’s Pro Day.) His wingspan also checked in at 77 3/8 inches, which also comes up short of the 80-inch benchmark. 

It has led to a lot of T-Rex memes for Campbell and had many pre-draft pundits wondering if he will eventually have to shift to guard in the NFL.

But Campbell has heard people knock his arm length his whole life, and it only supplies him with more motivation and fire whenever he takes the field. 

“It’s not exhausting. I’ve heard it since I was 14 years old,” Campbell told reporters Wednesday in Green Bay. “The school I just went to, they said the same thing. I didn’t let it become a problem then and I’m not going to now.”

Campbell believes he’ll succeed at tackle in the NFL, but also confirmed some teams spoke to him about moving to guard. He’s willing to do whatever a team asks of him in the NFL, so long as it leads to wins on the field.

“I want to win and I want to win now,” Campbell said Wednesday. “And if that means playing me at guard, me at X receiver, me at tight end, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Will Campbell started at left tackle as a true freshman

Campbell was a five-star recruit out of high school and won LSU’s starting left tackle job in the summer of his freshman year. He locked down the left side of the Tigers offensive line for three years and started all 38 games he appeared in for LSU.

He played every snap in 10 of LSU’s 12 games in 2024. Campbell missed only one game during his college career, which came during his freshman season due to an illness.

Campbell took over as a permanent team captain for LSU ahead of his sophomore season in 2023.

Will Campbell kept his QBs clean at LSU

Campbell played a total of 2,553 snaps in his three college seasons. He allowed just five sacks and 45 pressures while at LSU, which is incredibly impressive considering he played the majority of his games in the highly competitive SEC.

In 2024, Campbell allowed just two sacks over 557 pass-blocking snaps. Through his three seasons, Campbell went 24 straight games without allowing a sack.

Will Campbell racked up the awards at LSU

All that blocking led to a lot of different honors for Campbell. He was a consensus All- American in 2024, on top of being First-Team All-American, First-Team All-SEC, and the co-winner of the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy. 

Campbell was also First-Team All-SEC in 2023, and Second-Team All-SEC, Freshman All-SEC and a Freshman All-American in 2022.

Offensive line play is in Will Campbell’s blood

Campbell learned to play along the offensive line from his father, Brian Campbell, who played offensive tackle in college at Texas.   

Campbell is now the highest-drafted offensive lineman in LSU history, and the first LSU offensive lineman drafted in the first round since Alan Faneca went 26th overall to the Steelers in 1998.

Campbell is a “boots, jeans guy”

Campbell looked pretty dapper in his green Louis Vuitton suit in Green Bay, but he joked on the red carpet before the draft he’s more of a “boots, jeans guy.” Spoken like a true offensive lineman.