One of the best outcomes for a team using the No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft on a left tackle—as the New England Patriots did in April by selecting Will Campbell out of LSU—is for the player to quietly perform well without drawing much attention.
Offensive linemen, much like baseball umpires, are only truly doing their job when they aren’t the topic of conversation. Until Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, in which Campbell chased down fellow rookie James Pearce for a tackle after a strip-sack of Drake Maye, Campbell had not attracted much notice around New England. And that’s a very good thing.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Campbell is currently rated the No. 27 offensive tackle in the NFL out of 75 players. This ranking is precisely where the Patriots hoped Campbell would be nine games into his NFL career—already above average at his position but with plenty of room for growth.
### Patriots Offensive Line Was Brutal in 2024
To put Campbell’s progress in perspective, the Patriots’ offensive line struggled mightily in 2024. The franchise made the curious decision to draft Maye with the No. 3 overall pick and field an offensive line in which no player had significant experience playing left tackle, either in the NFL or college.
The Patriots opened the 2024 season ranked last—No. 32 out of 32 offensive lines in the NFL, according to PFF weekly rankings—and held that spot every week.
### Significant Improvement in 2025
The situation is much different in 2025, despite only Mike Onwenu returning to the offensive line. PFF currently ranks the Patriots’ line at No. 11 in the league, although that dropped from No. 6 following a rough performance against the Falcons in Week 9.
### Will Campbell Was the Best Against the Falcons
The struggles in Week 9 did not fall on Campbell, however. Most of the pressure came from the interior, as noted by PFF:
> “New England’s offensive line took a step back and struggled in Week 9, albeit in a win over the Falcons. Across 40 pass plays, the group gave up 15 pressures, three of which were sacks. That resulted in a 77.5 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating, ranking third to last in the NFL.”
As for Will Campbell:
> “Campbell was the one bright spot on New England’s offensive line in Week 9. The rookie’s 72.1 PFF overall grade paced the unit.”
It was, in fact, Campbell’s second-highest grade of the season, with his highest being a 72.9 grade against the Carolina Panthers.
### Campbell’s Performance Is a Positive Sign
The fact that Campbell—or his age or arm length—has not been a liability for the Patriots this year is a huge win. If he had been a weekly topic of discussion due to negative reasons, that would be bad news in New England.
Even so, Campbell’s play on Pearce during the Falcons game drew some well-deserved attention from coach Mike Vrabel and teammates. Center Garrett Bradbury shared:
> “I was giving him his props. We were just watching the film. I was, ‘Hey, is that your first tackle?’ He said, ‘No, it’s my second.’”
As the Patriots continue to develop their young offensive line, having a steady presence like Will Campbell at left tackle bodes well for their future success.
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/new-england-patriots/2025-offensive-line-will-campbell/
