The New England Patriots selected Will Campbell fourth overall in the 2025 NFL draft to fill arguably the second-most important position in football, left tackle, but the award-winning blocker can inadvertently cause a rebuilding team a surprising problem along its offensive line.
It’s a problem at the left guard spot next to the blindside protector for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. There still isn’t have a Day 1 starter at the position, and Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar cautioned, “one element to consider at left guard is that Campbell (77 ⅜” wingspan) and Bradbury (76.5″ wingspan) are both narrower body types at their respective positions. Thus, having a larger left guard who takes up more space, such as Sow, Wallace, or Wilson, could make sense.”
Lazar’s take means head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive line coach Doug Marrone are in a tricky spot. They have no shortage of options to play left guard, but the pair need to identify a candidate with both skill and size to solidify a key position and make things easier on Campbell during his pivotal debut season.
Patriots Must Solve Puzzle at Left Guard
Lazar mentioned Sidy Sow, who is one of two linemen not favored by coaches with designs on playing left guard this season. The competition remains crowded even though “fourth-year pro Cole Strange has the inside track to start at left guard based on the spring,” per Lazar.
Strange, who has spent time at center, is most likely to be pushed by 2024 third-round pick Caedan Wallace. He “was viewed by many as a possible college tackle-to-guard convert in last year’s draft.”
Wallace flashed potential as a rookie, by allowing just one sack, per Pro Football Focus. Yet, he played all of his snaps at both tackle spots, so the 25-year-old would be starting from scratch if he shifts inside.
Perhaps Vrabel and Marrone will turn to an ultra-athletic draft steal who could switch positions and provide the Patriots with an ideal solution. He has more recent experience at guard from his college days.
Whoever they turn to, the Patriots must find the right answer to the puzzle, because Campbell’s development will only be helped by having a competent blocker next to him.
Will Campbell Needs Fast Start
The Pats are counting on Campbell to keep Maye clean and add some nasty to the running game after New England ranked “31st in pass-blocking win rate and 32nd in run-blocking win rate” last season, per Lazar, citing PFF.
Campbell has the pedigree to do both as a winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, given to the best offensive lineman in the vaunted SEC. Translating that same intensity and play strength to the pros will be a process, but Campbell was putting in the work the right way during the Patriots’ rookie minicamp.
As ESPN’s Mike Reiss highlighted, Campbell repeated a run-blocking rep “again immediately after with improved results.”
Leftover from rookie minicamp: First-round pick Will Campbell takes a run-blocking rep that is closely watched by assistant OL coach Jason Houghtaling … and then does it again immediately after with improved results (tryout OT Devonte Gordon of Wake Forest on the bag). pic.twitter.com/ZgImk3sLW9
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) May 10, 2025
His upward trajectory is obvious, but concerns about Campbell have nothing to do with technique. Doubts about his size, particularly arm length, have persisted since before he was drafted, but one Hall of Famer thinks Campbell will be just fine.
He will be if the Patriots compensate for any lingering worries about mass and physicality by finding the right interior mauler next to Campbell.
