The good news about having a roster in disrepair is that practically any first-round pick will fill a position of need.
The New England Patriots didn’t need a quarterback coming into the NFL Draft, having drafted Drake Maye with the third overall pick last year, but they needed just about everything else. The bad news was there was a quarterback (Cam Ward) and two generational prospects (Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter) in this year’s draft and the Patriots had the fourth pick, meaning they didn’t have a shot at that upper tier. They can thank a win in last season’s final game for that.
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The Patriots decided that protecting that young quarterback, Drake Maye, was a priority. New England selected LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell fourth overall. Given the fireworks that happened with a stunning trade between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns for the second pick, which Jacksonville used on receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, the Patriots’ pick of an offensive lineman flew as far under the radar as possible.
Maye had to be happy to see that pick though.
The Patriots were on track to get the first pick of the draft until a win in the season finale.
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Heading into a Week 18 game against the Buffalo Bills, New England would have clinched the first pick with a loss. But against a Bills team that had its playoff seed clinched, and perhaps didn’t want their division rival to get the first overall pick, the Patriots won 23-16. Backup quarterback Joe Milton III, who was traded to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, had a fantastic day in leading the win.
That win pushed the Patriots from the first pick to the fourth. That meant they were likely out of the mix for Hunter or Carter, either of whom would have fit perfectly in New England’s rebuild.
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But the Patriots need blue-chip talent at just about every position and there were options. The Patriots badly needed offensive line help to help Maye and could pick any tackle in the class. The defensive line is still an issue, even after adding help in free agency, and defensive tackle Mason Graham was available. New coach Mike Vrabel would never turn down help on that side of the ball, as the Patriots’ defensive-heavy free agency haul showed.
The Patriots couldn’t go wrong getting their second-year quarterback some help, however.
Campbell was debated among the top offensive tackles in the draft. He has shorter arms than most teams prefer at offensive tackle, and that was discussed extensively. But the track record was too strong to pass up.
LSU Tigers offensive tackle Will Campbell has a new job as Drake Maye’s blindside protector. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Campbell is 6-foot-6, 319 pounds and a good athlete who tested well at the NFL scouting combine. He played against plenty of NFL-level talent in the SEC and was a first-team All-American. He started right away as a freshman at LSU and dominated throughout his career.
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Maye had a promising rookie season playing behind a poor offensive line, but the Patriots knew they needed to upgrade his protection. They signed tackle Morgan Moses this offseason, but a cornerstone on the line was still needed.
Picking Campbell isn’t as exciting as some other picks in the first round, but it made perfect sense for New England.
