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Patriots Select Will Campbell Fourth Overall

April 24th, 2025 at 7:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

The long-running expectation has been that the Patriots would draft Will Campbell fourth overall. The LSU offensive tackle is indeed headed to New England.

The fourth-overall selection did provide a bit of intrigue heading into the draft. Cam Ward was the expected top-overall pick, while the draft’s two blue chip prospects (Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter) were always penciled in at second and third.

There was considered a relative drop off at No. 4 (depending on your feelings about selecting RB Ashton Jeanty that early), and as a result, Campbell was often mentioned as a potential option for New England. We heard earlier today that the LSU product was the expected choice of the Patriots, especially considering the team’s need for OL depth.

The Patriots invested much of the free agency budget on the defensive side of the ball, with right tackle Morgan Moses and center Garrett Bradbury representing their major additions. With Cole Strange and Michael Onwenu at the two guard spots, the Patriots still had a hole at LT. The team will be hoping their new rookie will be capable of blocking for franchise QB Drake Maye, both now and in the future.

The consensus All-American certainly performed like an elite LT in college, but he still had plenty of question marks heading into the draft. Specifically, scouts often criticized his lack of length, making Campbell one of the more divisive prospects atop the draft board. While some believed the lineman’s poor wingspan wouldn’t impact his ability to perform in the NFL, others believed it’d ultimately lead to a position change.

The Patriots will surely be counting on Campbell to take over that LT spot for the foreseeable future. The team has struggled to find a solution at the position in recent years, and the team doesn’t really have many fallback options should Campbell fail (or need more time). The likes of Vederian Lowe and Caedan Wallace are the team’s current depth options, so the Patriots will need their rookie to succeed if they hope to take a step forward in 2025.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Patriots Still Expected To Select Will Campbell At No. 4

April 24th, 2025 at 2:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots were linked heavily to Travis Hunter in many early mock drafts with the potential of Shedeur Sanders being one of the first prospects to hear their names called. With that no longer the case, a top three order of Cam Ward (Titans), Hunter (Browns) and Abdul Carter (Giants) has emerged as the expectation for tonight.

If that plays out, the Patriots would be faced with the option of moving down the board from No. 4 overall or selecting from the remaining players. Connections to LSU’s Will Campbell have long been in place as a result, and that remains the case with the opening round hours away. Campbell is still widely seen as New England’s target, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports as well as ESPN’s Matt Miller report.

[RELATED: Pats Select Campbell In PFR’s Mock Draft]

Interestingly, Schultz adds Campbell should still be expected to join the Patriots even in the event Carter is still on the board by that point. The Giants could take a signal-caller (such as Sanders) third overall or opt to move down the Day 1 order. Carter remaining available with New England still on the clock would come as a surprise, but it would certainly add intrigue to the team’s decision. Long seen in tandem with Hunter as a top-two talent, Carter could add considerably to the Pats’ pass rush in 2025 and for many years beyond that.

On the other hand, upgrading along the O-line has remained a major priority through the offseason for New England. The team’s free agency moves resulted in the arrivals of right tackle Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury, with the latter replacing David Andrews shortly after his release. The left tackle spot remains an area of need, though, and Campbell could solidify it (provided, of course, he receives the opportunity to operate on the blindside as he did in college despite concerns about his arm length). Miller confirms the consensus All-American would be tasked with left tackle duties in the event he wound up being selected by the Patriots.

Miller’s colleague Jeremy Fowler reports New England recently traveled to Louisiana to meet once again with Campbell. That marks another indication this team-player pairing will become official tonight. While Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker emerged as a name to watch on this front earlier this week, he remains an outside candidate to hear his name called fourth overall as things stand.

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Bills, Banks

April 22nd, 2025 at 9:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Consistently given Will Campbell in mock drafts (including ours), the Patriots may not be locked into the left tackle the way the Titans are with Cam Ward at No. 1. Eleventh-hour Pats connections to Georgia hybrid defender Jalon Walker are emerging, via Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline. Mike Vrabel has mentioned left tackle as a place the draft can provide an answer, and Pats-Campbell ties have persisted during the pre-draft process. Several reports have suggested the LSU product will be the Patriot pick. Walker recently auditioned for scouts, and Pauline adds the Pats sent a sizable contingent to a workout that also featured Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams. Pats brass soon dined with Walker, Pauline adds.

Showing the ability to be an edge defender and off-ball linebacker, Walker is expected to go off the board early. The Pats, who inquired about Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby this offseason, came up previously in connection to passing on Campbell to draft a pass rusher. With Abdul Carter likely going to Cleveland or New York, New England would be shut out from this draft’s top prospect tier at 4. Campbell should probably still be considered the favorite to go fourth overall, but it is not a lock.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • Also viewing Campbell as the Pats’ most likely pick, SI.com’s Albert Breer mentions Walker as a wild card. But the veteran reporter also points to a New England desire to accumulate more draft capital — even if it is unable to move off No. 4 (in a draft without a QB prompting aggressive trade-up offers like last year’s brought for the Pats). Kayshon Boutte, months after voicing frustration with his role, could be a player the team would consider moving to acquire an extra pick. Two years remain on the 2023 sixth-round receiver’s rookie contract.
  • Having seen four teammates (Khalil Shakir, Gregory Rousseau, Terrel Bernard, Christian Benford) receive early-offseason extension, James Cook is not joining his teammates for the start of the Bills‘ offseason program, Brandon Beane confirmed (via The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia) Tuesday. Cook skipping voluntary work is not surprising; he has been upfront about his desire for an upper-crust extension this offseason. The Bills have viewed the breakout RB as a core player, but it remains to be seen if they will give the multipurpose back a deal in the $15MM-AAV range. Early talks have not brought progress. One season remains on Cook’s contract. While the Bills did pay former Day 2 picks Devin Singletary or Zack Moss, Cook has been a better player and is one of this year’s top extension candidates.
  • Extending Bernard and keeping Matt Milano via a pay-cut agreement, the Bills are in decent shape at linebacker. They are still being mentioned (via Schefter) as a team that could use a premium draft pick on the position. Holding the No. 30 overall choice, Buffalo is being tied to UCLA LB Carson Schwesinger. Milano having missed the bulk of the past two seasons does give Buffalo a bit of a need here, but the team has been more closely tied to other defensive positions in Round 1.
  • Another injury-prone player who once earned All-Pro acclaim in Buffalo, Tre’Davious White is back. Discarded in 2024, White spent the season with the Rams and Ravens. Although White has seen the injury trouble move him off the surefire starter tier, he has another chance in Buffalo. He said (via ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg) following the Ravens’ divisional-round loss to the Bills that he began letting the team know he was interested in returning. At 30, White now profiles as a flier for a Bills team likely still looking for CB help.
  • The Dolphins have done plenty of D-tackle work leading up to this draft, but ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter also links Texas tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. to Miami at No. 13. Banks’ stock looks to have climbed late, as he has been tied to going as high as the Raiders at No. 6 or the Jets at 7. Miami has Patrick Paul prepared to replace Terron Armstead, as Austin Jackson remains at RT.

OL Draft Notes: Campbell, Jackson, Membou

April 19th, 2025 at 4:20pm CST by Ely Allen

In our recent 2025 NFL Mock Draft, we projected that LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell would be selected by the Patriots at No. 4 overall, and we don’t appear to be alone in that projection. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe recently asserted that “all roads lead to” New England for Campbell.

Volin quoted Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network who recently told him, “I’ve just continually heard that offensive tackle was going to be addressed, and I’ve continually heard that that’s Will Campbell’s spot.”

The top three picks of the 2025 NFL Draft consistently reflect that Miami quarterback Cam Ward, Colorado athlete Travis Hunter, and Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter will be the first three off the board. This leaves the Patriots with every other option on the board with the fourth overall pick, and while no pick seems as obvious as the first three, all signs seem to be pointing to Campbell.

Here are a few other draft rumors concerning offensive linemen in the upcoming draft:

  • Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson hasn’t garnered as much attention from the media in the pre-draft process as his bookend teammate Josh Simmons, who has earned some projections as a potential first-rounder, but he’s still getting plenty of attention from the NFL. After shifting out from his usual left guard spot to left tackle part-way through his senior season in Columbus, Jackson has garnered some second-round projections of his own. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Jackson visited his hometown’s local team, the Texans, this week. Wilson adds that Jackson has also visited the Giants, Eagles, Vikings, and Raiders in the past few weeks.
  • Many of the draft’s top tackle prospects have been projected more favorably as guards at the NFL level. Several teams have overlooked the limitations of these prospects as they search for tackle help. Missouri lineman Armand Membou continues to hear position questions in the runup to the draft. Per Volin, Membou’s trainer, Duke Mayweather of OL Masterminds, has claimed that Membou is much more likely to flourish at right tackle and that he wouldn’t try to switch him to left tackle. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune took things a step further, saying that, while he agrees Membou will fit first at right tackle, he thinks Membou is more likely to end up playing guard than left tackle in the NFL.

Patriots Pursued Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett; Could Select Edge Rusher At No. 4

April 16th, 2025 at 7:08pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots have been active reworking their pass-rush depth this offseason, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the front office pursued two of the biggest names on the market. According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com, the Patriots “had desires” to trade for Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett.

New England’s pursuit of the two extension/trade candidates surely preceded their free agent spending spree. The Raiders and Browns were rightfully correct in waiting out the trade winds, as both teams eventually inked their star pass rushers to lucrative extensions. That forced the Patriots to pivot.

Considering the Patriots’ free agency commitments, we can only assume the Eliot Wolf-led front office would have been just as willing to hand out an extension to either player. The Patriots landed interior disruptor Milton Williams on a four-year, $104MM, and they added edge rusher Harold Landry III on a three-year, $43.5MM pact. With other additions like Robert Spillane and K’Lavon Chaisson, plus holdovers like Christian Barmore and Keion White, there’s hope Mike Vrabel will guide an improved front-seven in 2025.

Despite the team’s many defensive acquisitions, the Patriots may not be done adding. There’s been an assumption that the team would select an offensive tackle with the fourth-overall pick. However, Pauline says the team’s one alternative option could be an edge rusher, and that’s with the assumption that Abdul Carter will already be off the board.

Shemar Stewart, Mykel Williams, and Mike Green are regarded as consensus top-20 picks, but all three edge-rush prospects would be considered a reach at No. 4. Considering the uncertainty behind the top-three picks, Jalon Walker could be an option for New England, although the Georgia product seems better positioned to slide in as an inside LB.

Our own Ely Allen projects the Patriots to select LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell with the No. 4 pick, a popular sentiment across the industry. However, the Patriots could pull off the first wrinkle of the draft if they add to an already-remade defense.

AFC East Notes: Campbell, Milton, Jets, Bills

April 16th, 2025 at 11:31am CST by Sam Robinson

Likely holding the right of first refusal with this draft’s tackle class, the Patriots continue to be tied to LSU’s Will Campbell. Pats-Campbell connections have persisted for an extended stretch, as the team’s free agency activity brought in many high-profile options but did not produce a left tackle addition. While Morgan Moses is coming into play right tackle, a rookie is likely to join him. As of now, Campbell appears the frontrunner. The Patriots are believed to prefer Campbell at No. 4, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes. Although Pauline adds considerable in-house support for Missouri’s Armand Membou exists, he may need to wait a bit longer to hear his name called. The Pats have been high on Campbell for a while, as arm-length concerns appear to have been overblown, and Mike Vrabel pointed to the draft as a good way the team can address its LT issue. Vrabel added (via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed) he believes LT starters are in this draft.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • The Pats unloaded popular reserve QB Joe Milton in a trade, dealing him to the Cowboys for a fifth-round pick. This represented a net gain for New England, which drafted Milton in last year’s sixth round. Vrabel pointed to a lack of reps being available behind Drake Maye and UFA pickup Josh Dobbs as the main reason for Milton’s early exit. “Well, we felt like that his reps were going to be decreased as we worked through the offseason,” Vrabel said (via Kyed). “And we felt like just like every other decision, we’re going to try to do what’s best for the team, and that’s the decision that we ultimately made. And so, excited to move forward with Drake and Josh.” Three years remain on Milton’s rookie contract.
  • The Jets signed Josh Reynolds and worked out a pay-cut agreement with Allen Lazard. This makes the team unlikely to also add one of the 30-something wide receivers still in free agency, per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen and Tyler Lockett remain unsigned. The trio may need to wait until the post-draft deadline pertaining to the 2026 compensatory formula to find homes, as the draft will also provide clarity regarding teams’ receiver needs.
  • Staying with the Jets, Cimini noted in a previous piece Rick Spielman‘s presence in the team’s GM hiring process, one that ended with Darren Mougey landing the job, did not sit well with some of the candidates who interviewed. Although Mougey had not previously worked with Spielman, Mougey’s former boss — Broncos GM George Paton — was Spielman’s assistant GM in Minnesota. Paton gave Mougey a strong endorsement to ex-boss, according to Cimini, and some who lost out on the job connected the dots. Familiarity often leads to hirings at the executive or coaching level, though it is interesting Spielman — who had been out of the NFL until the Jets added him to lead the HC/GM hiring process — is staying on to help Mougey in a full-time role. It is worth wondering if all the candidates interviewed would have kept Spielman on.
  • Holding 10 picks, the Bills profile as a team who could move up in the draft. One scout informed ESPN.com’s Matt Miller a Buffalo move up for an impact first-round defender is a scenario to monitor. Cornerback represents a spot to follow regarding the Bills’ first-round pick, ESPN.com’s Field Yates adds. Buffalo has not re-signed Rasul Douglas, and Dane Jackson does not profile as a surefire starter opposite the recently extended Christian Benford.
  • The Bills used a “30” visit on Texas A&M defensive end Nic Scourton, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. Our Ely Allen profiled Scourton recently, and a few teams have met with the ex-Aggies regular. The Bills added Michael Hoecht and Joey Bosa in free agency and still roster A.J. Epenesa; Bosa and Epenesa, however, are on expiring contracts.

NFL Announces 17 Prospects Attending NFL Draft

April 14th, 2025 at 6:30pm CST by Ben Levine

There will be 17 draft prospects waiting in the green room to hear their name announced next week. The NFL announced the players who will attend the first round next Thursday night in Green Bay:

When players commit to attending the first round of the draft, their respective camps have often been given some kind of assurance that they’ll be selected within the top-32 picks. Of course, that’s not a prerequisite, and as we’ve seen many times, there are some overly-confident prospects who subsequently endure the very-public waiting game.

Per usual, the most notable inclusions surround the QB position. Cam Ward is the favorite to go first-overall, and Shedeur Sanders (who is absent from this list) is also expected to be selected at some point in the first round. After that, the position is pretty uncertain, and that could lead to some awkward moments for the other QBs who decided to attend.

Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe have firmly established themselves in that next tier of QB prospects, and recent reports have indicated that they should be at least Day 2 picks. There haven’t been any definitive reports about their Day 1 candidacy, and while we shouldn’t read too much into the list of attendees, it is notable that both prospects believe they have a shot of going in the top-32 selections.

Patriots Rumors: Campbell, Strange, Carter

April 11th, 2025 at 8:14pm CST by Ely Allen

The Patriots have their right tackle position locked down with Morgan Moses on a three-year deal, despite his advanced age of 34 years old. After uninspiring performances in 2024 from Vederian Lowe and Caedan Wallace, the team still has questions at the left tackle position.

New head coach Mike Vrabel didn’t give up on Lowe and Wallace, claiming both players would get opportunities to win the job, but he noted that the 2025 NFL Draft would “be a good option” to address the position. Per Karen Guregian of Mass Live, Vrabel said that there are players “at a lot of different levels” that the team likes.

With the No. 4 overall pick, New England is going to have their pick of the litter after a presumed 1-2-3 of Cam Ward, Abdul Carter, and Travis Hunter. There’s a chance that Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders sneaks in there and allows Carter or Hunter to fall to the Patriots, but likely, those three will be off the board and New England will make the first unexpected pick of the draft.

They’ve been connected to players like Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker or Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, but if they decide to use that pick to address the left tackle situation, they reportedly view LSU’s Will Campbell as an option at No. 4 overall. Campbell drew early criticism in the pre-draft process for a lack of length with a below-average 32 5/8-inch arm measurement, but according to Field Yates of ESPN, scouts really don’t view Campbell’s arm length as an issue that could prevent him from becoming a really good left tackle in the NFL.

Here are a few more rumors out of New England concerning the subject:

  • Despite watching rookie fourth-round guard Layden Robinson struggle as the team’s starting left guard for much of the 2024 season, the team won’t likely feel the need to address that position in the draft. After only playing in three games last year due to injury, Cole Strange is expected to enter the offseason as the team’s starter at the position, per Christopher Price of The Boston Globe. Strange showed major improvement in 2023 after a rough rookie campaign, but injuries have limited him to only 13 games in the past two seasons.
  • While it may end up being for naught, the Patriots are hosting Carter out of Penn State on a top-30 visit this coming Monday, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Carter is only taking visits with teams in the top 4 picks (Titans, Browns, Giants, and Patriots), so it stands to reason that if he falls past the first three picks, he’d be an easy selection for New England to make at fourth overall.

Raiders Arrange Visits With Shedeur Sanders, Will Campbell, Mason Graham, Carson Schwesinger

April 10th, 2025 at 11:14am CST by Adam La Rose

Set to select sixth overall, the Raiders find themselves in an interesting position as the countdown to the draft continues. The team could go in several different directions, and a number of first-round options are being examined through pre-draft visits.

Vegas lined up a large number of top-30 visits yesterday, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports the group included LSU tackle Will Campbell and Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham. Both prospects are viewed in the tier below presumed No. 1 pick Cam Ward and the highly-regarded duo of Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter. Depending on how the Patriots and Jaguars operate with the fourth and fifth selections, though, neither Campbell nor Graham may be available once Vegas is on the clock.

The Raiders’ work also included their previously-reported visit with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. The Heisman runner-up has frequently been mentioned as a logical fit for Vegas given the team’s struggles on the ground last season and resultant need to find a long-term Josh Jacobs successor. Selecting Campbell or Graham instead would leave a vacancy in the backfield (at least until later in the draft), but it would help shore up the line of scrimmage for a team looking to rebound from a 4-13 season.

A large part of that effort has been the acquisition of quarterback Geno Smith. The trade sending him to the Raiders was recently followed by a two-year extension putting him on the books through 2027, but the team is still interested in exploring rookie signal-callers. Among those with a visit planned is Shedeur Sanders, per Breer. The Colorado passer’s Vegas meeting will take place on Monday, he adds.

Vegas has previously been connected to Sanders, whose stock remains a key talking point in advance of the draft. A fall out of the first round is not expected, but the strength of prospects at other positions for teams not immediately in need of a signal-caller could lead them in another direction. Still, the Browns and Giants have been linked to Sanders interest, and his visit with the Steelers (set to select 21st overall) today illustrates the extent of his list of suitors.

Sanders is not the only QB prospect being looked into. As Breer notes, Texas’ Quinn Ewers and Ohio State’s Will Howard were present yesterday, along with Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart. Those three passers face a wide range of draft outcomes, but Dart has gained steam for first-round consideration. Ewers and Howard are more logical targets if Vegas – now led by head coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Spytek and (to a notable extent) minority owner Tom Brady – plans to wait until after Day 1 to add a quarterback .

Also present for Wednesday’s prospect summit was Carson Schwesinger, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic. The UCLA product is seen as one of the top linebackers in the 2025 class, and he is slated to hear his name called sometime in the second round. Vegas owns pick No. 37, which could be used on Schwesinger based in part on how yesterday’s visit went. With respect to the team’s top selection, though, several options are on the table and are receiving consideration.

Saints Host Will Campbell; Team Showing Interest In James Pearce, Shemar Turner

March 29th, 2025 at 8:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints’ draft preparation is ongoing, and prospects on both sides of the ball are on the team’s radar. Offensive lineman Will Campbell visited today, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

A Louisiana native and LSU product, Campbell’s visit will be classified as a local one and thus not count toward the Saints’ allotment of 30 for other prospects. Seen as the top offensive linemen in this year’s class for much of the pre-draft process, Campbell has faced plenty of questions about his arm length. His measurement at LSU’s Pro Day offered a slightly more encouraging figure compared to the Combine (33 inches), but the possibility of a move to guard will no doubt persist.

The Saints used a first-round pick on Trevor Penning in 2022, then added Taliese Fuaga with their top selection last spring. That pairing operated as a tackle tandem last season, and it would come as no surprise if that continued into the future. Pro Bowler Ryan Ramczyk restructured his contract in January in a move which signaled he will not be back due to his major knee injury. New Orleans could use depth at tackle, but Campbell’s path to immediate playing time would likely be on the interior if the Fuaga-Penning partnership were to remain intact.

The Patriots – who own the No. 4 pick in April’s draft – were recently reported to be high on Campbell (among other O-linemen). Left tackle looms as a major need for New England despite the team’s busy offseason, and it would come as little surprise if addressing it during Day 1 of the draft became the plan. That would leave the New Orleans (set to select ninth overall) in need of pivoting to other options in the first round.

The Saints have met with a number of Tennessee prospects recently, and Underhill reports they also conducted a James Pearce workout. Pearce is one of several first-round prospects for edge rushers in the 2025 class, with his speed representing a major source of interest for NFL teams. A first-team All-SEC producer for each of the past two seasons, he totaled 17.5 sacks over that span; as a result, Pearce is firmly on the Day 1 radar (although a top-10 selection could be seen by some as a slight reach).

The Saints also used Saturday to host defensive tackle Shemar Turner on a visit, per Underhill. The Texas A&M product’s stock is not as high as that of teammate Shemar Stewart, but drafting him could help a New Orleans team which ranked 31st against the run last season. While Stewart is not seen as a first-round prospect, several of those who are will no doubt continue to receive attention from New Orleans over the coming days and weeks.

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