Patriots Former Patriots praise New England’s decision to draft Will Campbell at No. 4 “All the measurables go out the window when the pads go on." Will Campbell was introduced at Gillette Stadium on Friday.
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Taking a left tackle with a top-five pick may not elicit the same excitement as a team selecting a quarterback or blue-chip wide receiver in the NFL Draft. But several former Patriots gave their approval for New England’s decision to bolster their offensive line — and protect quarterback Drake Maye — by selecting LSU tackle Will Campbell with the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Shortly after New England took Campbell as the first offensive lineman in his draft class, three-time Super Bowl champion Tedy Bruschi endorsed New England’s move. “Immediately got better tonight,” Bruschi wrote on X. “Welcome Will Campbell.” Immediately got better tonight.
Welcome Will Campbell. — Tedy Bruschi (@TedyBruschi) April 25, 2025 Commentary about Campbell’s arm length, and whether or not he has the frame to remain at tackle in the NFL, has dominated the conversations about the LSU offensive lineman over the last few months. Advertisement: But speaking on Thursday, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel tabbed Campbell as a left tackle — later pushing back against the assertion that taking Campbell so high in the draft offers the risk of being a “misevaluation” if he eventually slots inside.
“I think that what we’re focused on is where he’s going to be tomorrow and the next day and not what the misevaluation is,” Vrabel said. “We coveted this player. This was a very good football player.
I think part of the draft is adding great pieces and great players to your roster, which is what we did. … I’m going to let everything really speak for itself, and let his play, what he does in the community and most importantly on the field, before we start talking about that. Advertisement: “I just think that’s not fair.
I’ve never thought about that one time. We’ve watched every game that he’s played, put a lot of work into this, and we’re all excited and happy that he’s here.” Former Patriots center David Andrews shared a similar message to Campbell while taking to Instagram on Friday morning. “Happy for @will.campbell66,” Andrews posted to his Instagram story.
“All the measurables go out the window when the pads go on. How many guys for this organization haven’t been the All-Star on paper and have turned into great players for this place? “Coach (Tom) Landry said, ‘The most important part of a player is the 18 inches from their head to their heart,’ and I believe he has this.
Lastly, the game has changed a lot. One thing remains true: The game is won in the trenches and always will be.” David Andrews on #Patriots OT Will Campbell: “Happy for @will_campbell66. All the measurable go out the window when the pads go on.
How many guys haven’t been the all star on paper and have turned into great players… the game is won in the trenches and always will be.” pic.twitter.com/o9HeFCAMDf — Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) April 25, 2025 The Patriots still have plenty of work to do in this draft when it comes to building up the depth chart — especially when it comes to adding playmakers on offense and additional pass-rushing regulars on the other side of the ball. Advertisement: But speaking to MassLive’s Karen Karen Guregian, Patriots Super Bowl champion Rodney Harrison stressed that adding a tackle like Campbell stood as an an essential roster-building move for New England during this rebuild. “If I’m trying to build a championship team, it starts up front,” Harrison told Guregian on Thursday.
“If you go get a tackle that can protect you’re young quarterback the next 4 or 5 years, and you bring in a locker room presence like Campbell, you can start building.” Conor Ryan Sports Writer Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
