Will Campbell film study: An elite athlete who needs to overcome his limitations

Will Campbell is just like 90% of the other first-round prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft: he has an obvious flaw.

A good-but-imperfect prospect in a class packed with them, Campbell filled the Patriots' biggest need while arguably being the best player available at No. 4 overall. He's a convergence of the two philosophies, and should be an immediate starter protecting Drake Maye's blind side. That doesn't mean he's without concerns.

Chief among those worries is whether Campbell will last at left tackle, due to his shorter-than-desired arms. The longer the pre-draft analysis went on, the more Campbell's arm length -- 33 inches, on the optimistic end of it -- and historically low wingspan of 77 3/8 inches made a move to guard inevitable in the eyes of many. But to just point at his arms and dismiss everything else is to oversimplify Campbell as a prospect.

Lauded for his leadership and ride-or-die attitude as a teammate, Campbell was also arguably the most athletic offensive linemen in the 2025 draft. He finished top-five overall in the 40-yard dash, one of only five O-linemen who ran a sub-five at 4.98. His 32-inch vertical tied for fourth among all tackles. His 113-inch broad jump was second behind only Armand Membou (115).

On top of his athleticism and size (6-foot-6, 319 pounds), Campbell has quick feet and uses them effectively to stay back and keep his leverage in pass protection. And you can tell by watching him play that he's heard about the arms his whole career, because when he's at his best, he uses impeccable hand technique to keep pass-rushers at bay.

Keep reading for a more detailed look at Campbell's game, including plenty of clips from his 2024 season at LSU (and one game from 2023). This is meant to showcase his strengths and highlight his areas of improvement. It could mean the difference between him staying at tackle long-term, and how high of a level he can perform at the position.

We're going to focus on key areas and how he performed in them across multiple games. Away we go...

Campbell's most important task will be to protect Maye in the passing game, but his run-blocking will be the skill that most immediately translates to the NFL level. He is deadly going downhill, turning defenders inside and absolutely clearing people off the edge to create gaping lanes for the ballcarrier. This will be a huge asset for a Patriots offensive line that has struggled to block in the ground game as much as anything.

Here, Campbell (No. 66 in white) motors right through South Carolina's Jatius Geer (6-foot-6, 250 pounds) to spring running back Caden Durham for a big gain. (Note: we are working on getting these clips to start at the right time, but for now I have to post timestamps. This starts at 9:44.)

Against Florida, Campbell showed his ability to leverage down linemen to the inside. Here he mushes defensive tackle Cam Jackson (drafted 140th overall by the Panthers), then jumps to the second level and chips linebacker Shemar James (drafted 152nd by the Cowboys) just enough for Durham to race over the line to gain and pick up extra yardage. A better chip might have resulted in a touchdown, but the effort turned a three-yard play into a first down-plus. (4:05)

On that same possession, he put Florida's Caleb Banks on skates (Banks is projected to go high in the 2026 draft) to help RB Josh Williams pick up a first down on second-and-3. (4:15)

Campbell is also nimble enough to pull right. Here he pulls as the lead blocker for Williams up the middle, then trucks linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold as Williams follows behind and picks up a first. (1:07)

One of Campbell's tougher tests over the last two years of his college career was against edge rusher Jared Verse, the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. But in this clip, Campbell seals Verse off to the inside for just long enough to help quarterback Jayden Daniels take off for a big run. (9:30)

Campbell can be used in a variety of ways in the run game, which compares him favorably to former Patriots left tackle Nate Solder. But it's going to be critical for him to marry his run-blocking with his pass protection, which we'll get to below.

Campbell's short arms can potentially get him in trouble at times, but he's the best of the 2025 class at making up for his lack of length. He frequently gets his hands up and into the defender's chest with speed and skill, and keeps them tucked inside. That will continue to be key for him to have success at the NFL level. Campbell's excellent footwork should also help him stay in front of rushers and recover when needed.

One of Campbell's biggest challenges came against Texas A&M, which deployed an entire line of NFL prospects. He had his hits and misses against Shemar Stewart (drafted 17th overall by the Bengals), but here he knocks Stewart off balance with his first punch and resets his hands while keeping his feet back, ultimately stalling his rush attempt. (0:50)

He showed on this rep against Stewart that when he keeps his feet moving, he can effectively mirror an edge rusher and recover quickly against speed. (5:08)

Here against edge rusher Nic Scourton (drafted 51st overall by the Panthers), he sets his feet quickly and uses long strides to stay in front of him, and also wins the race with his hands to the chest. (8:26)

The former LSU left tackle had his share of ups and downs against South Carolina's NFL-caliber pass-rushers last season, but here's an up: he gets his hands into the chest of Kyle Kennard (drafted 125th by the Chargers) and pancakes him with the initial punch, buying quarterback Garrett Nussmeier enough time to get the throw off. (10:56)

Against Arkansas edge rusher Landon Jackson (drafted 72nd by the Bills), Campbell made a nice play here to get his hands up and in and latch on, showing a good combo of strength and technique. (8:27)

Campbell showed in this rep against Ole Miss' Princely Umanmielen (drafted 77th overall by the Panthers) that it's generally a bad idea to go straight around him, or take a predictable path to the quarterback. If and when Campbell gets his hands up and in front of you, you've got nowhere to go. He almost hugs Umanmielen here, but ultimately stops the speedy edge in his tracks. (5:08)

Campbell had a bit of a harder matchup in this game against defensive tackle Walter Nolen (drafted 16th overall by the Cardinals), but here Nolen runs straight into Campbell's hands and gets pushed back into the pile like it's nothing. (16:09)

Going back to the 2023 Florida State game, Campbell stops Verse here after getting the first punch with his hands, buying Daniels time in the pocket to make a key throw to wide receiver Brian Thomas. (8:11)

As long as Campbell keeps his feet moving and gets his hands up and in before the rusher, he's very hard to beat. That's especially true if you take him straight on or try to get around the edge with no bend.

You could also see in the previous clip that Campbell is just as good against multiple rushers, which we'll detail in the next section...

One sign of a smart offensive lineman is how he handles stunts & twists. Scheming up pressure doesn't seem to work well on Campbell.

Going back to the Ole Miss game, Campbell appears to diagnose the stunt instantly, focusing squarely on Nolen and punching him back. Campbell looks as if he read the play even before the snap. (0:08)

Later in the same game, Campbell blocks both defensive tackle J.J. Pegues (sixth-round pick of the Raiders) and edge rusher Suntarine Perkins (five-star recruit) to buy time for Nussmeier to get a throw off. He redirects Pegues to force him to take the scenic route around the line, then mirrors Perkins using his footwork and strong hands. (13:20)

Rewinding to the Florida State game, Campbell kept both Verse and Kalen DeLoach (2024 undrafted free agent) at bay on an attempted stunt. Campbell makes a smooth adjustment between blocks with his feet here, but his awareness is the most impressive part. (10:51)

And against Florida, Campbell showed quick recognition after the snap to see Kamran James try to split him and the left guard into the pocket. Campbell gets his hands in quickly and stands James up, forcing him to go for a jump-deflection. (2:12)

If you're going to try to beat Campbell with pressure, you're better off sending an edge rusher 1-on-1 than trying to trick him with a stunt. There may be ways to beat him physically, but he's exceptionally tough to beat mentally.

So, about those physical advantages...

At long last, we get to the concerns with Campbell as he enters the NFL. While Campbell generally gets his hands up quickly, if he's a tick behind, he can have trouble resetting. Speedy edge rushers can get around his outside shoulder, as Kennard does here for a combo sack with a blitzing Bam Martin-Scott (signed with Panthers as UDFA). (2:22)

And typically a straight-line rush isn't going to work, but it could if you have length and can get your hands into Campbell's chest before he gets to yours. Here, Campbell gets bowled over by South Carolina's Dylan Stewart, who wins the hand battle and motors through him.

Stewart is a five-star recruit and an exceptional athlete, who's expected to be one of the first players off the board in the 2027 draft. So, Campbell got beat on this play by a guy that projects as a game-wrecker in the NFL. (6:21)

As we rewind again to the Ole Miss game, Nolen gives Campbell a real challenge on this play. It all starts with the hands to the chest, which knock Campbell off balance and force him to reset his feet. Nussmeier is forced out of the pocket, as Nolen runs Campbell back and the tackle is a little out of control with his hands and feet. (6:57)

Shemar Stewart had a similar result on this play from the Texas A&M game, getting into Campbell's chest before he's set and almost knocking him all the way back to the QB. (7:50)

Verse beat Campbell around the edge for a strip-sack in the Florida State game, as he got to the outside shoulder before he could get his hands up. This clip shows how Campbell improved his hand technique from 2023 to 2024, but it's also an example of how a speed rusher could beat him by exploding off the line and taking sharp angles to the quarterback. (7:39)

This play against Arkansas' Cameron Ball shows that Campbell needs to have better recoveries with his arms and hands when a rusher is giving him trouble. This would be an obvious holding penalty in the NFL. (3:56)

Campbell has the athletic ability and hand techniques to overcome his short arms, but he needs to prove he can execute consistently. And while he's shown good-enough recovery ability when under duress at the college level, espeically with his feet, the NFL will present a higher level of difficulty in those situations. That will be a critical area of focus for him and Patriots offensive line coach Doug Marrone.

There's one other key area of his game that needs to be better...

Campbell is excellent when going north-to-south in the running game, and moves his feet well in pass protection, but he could stand to improve his lateral movement and avoid overcomitting to the edge. Pass-rushers often beat him with inside counter moves when initially stopped to the outside.

Starting with the South Carolina game, Kennard starts to the outside before shifting his shoulder inside, and Campbell reacts by holding his inside shoulder, an easy flag in the NFL. (7:14)

Later in the game, Kennard beats Campbell again with a similar inside move. Campbell appears to lean a bit too much to the edge with his arms and can't reset his feet, leaving him susceptible to Kennard's interior pressure. (8:41)

Back to the Texas A&M game. Scourton gave Campbell issues with his inside counters on multiple plays. Here, Scourton catches him leaning and sheds him to get after Nussmeier to the inside. A less mobile quarterback might've taken a sack. (3:03)

And on this play, Scourton beats Campbell with a slick spin move to the inside after faking his shoulder outside. Nussmeier has pressure from both edges and throws an interception. (10:03)

On this rep against Alabama's Que Robinson (drafted 134th overall by the Broncos), Campbell doesn't get his hands up quickly enough, allowing Robinson to swat him away and slip through the interior into the pocket. (8:47)

And here's an interesting play from the Arkansas game: Campbell appeared to be playing for the inside move against Perkins, but the linebacker actually fakes inside then uses that extra leverage to beat him around the edge, helping to cause a deflected pass and an INT. It's a good example of why Campbell needs to consistently win battles against rushers with his hands. (2:00)

Finally, this play against USC shows Campbell's potential to improve against inside counters. USC's Eric Gentry (four-star recruit, returning for senior season) tries a spin move but can't get through. Campbell can handle an inside move better if he stays square and keeps his feet moving without over-comitting to the edge. (0:44)

But overall, inside counters are going to be a primary part of the plan for opposing edge rushers against Campbell. The Texas A&M and Ole Miss tape, in particular, will be studied.

Campbell is a big, strong, athletic, and smart football player, and it's why he overcame his arm length to have an outstanding career at LSU and become the fourth overall pick in the draft. He will be an immediate asset for the Patriots in the run game, and he should hold his own against one-dimensional edge rushers and stunts.

But like every prospect making the jump to the NFL, Campbell is facing a step-up in both the competition on the field and the guys coaching them. Smart pass-rushers will study his tendencies and prepare matchup-specific moves against him on Sundays. Campbell will need to consistently get his hands up and in and use his power to keep rushers at bay, and also use his feet better laterally to prevent inside pressure.

If longer edge rushers consistently beat Campbell with their arms and hands, he may struggle to stick at tackle long-term. But he has enough physical tools and football intelligence to be a starter at the highest level. We'll see what position that ends up being, but he's clearly going to get an initial opportunity at left tackle. His hand technique and lateral movement will be the key points to watch.