Ever since they took him with the No. 4 pick, the New England Patriots have brushed off concerns and questions about Will Campbell. They ignored the red flags about his arm length, and they doubled down on him as their left tackle of the future earlier in the offseason.
He was a bit of a mixed bag as a rookie, and while the talent is there, and it's not fair to judge a player after just one season, there are some evident reasons to be worried. He'll roll into the season as Drake Maye's blindside protector, and that decision could come back to haunt Mike Vrabel's team.
Will Campbell Might Not be a Left Tackle
Measurements and projections still exist for a reason. Granted, they're just numbers, and some players dare to break the mold. That said, if 99 out of 100 players have similar prototypes, chances are those who fail to meet those standards won't succeed in the pros, no matter how talented and hard-working they may be.
The Patriots have said all the right things about keeping Campbell at left tackle, but their actions say otherwise. Signing James Hudson wasn't necessarily about adding depth; he gives them a backup plan in case Campbell struggles mightily.
They also signed a physical specimen like Alijiah Vera-Tucker, who can play at both guard and tackle and could swap positions with Campbell if he struggles again early in the season. That might even be the best path for this team.
Even so, New England will give Campbell as many opportunities to succeed and silence the critics as possible. He's their No. 4 pick, and they can't just give up on him after spending such valuable draft capital to get him.
Despite missing four games with injury, Campbell still allowed 26 total pressures, including five QB hits and five sacks. Given the underwhelming strength of schedule this team played before their playoff run, that's just not encouraging at all.
The Patriots will face a much tougher schedule next season. They won't sneak up on anybody, and as a former Super Bowl team, the bar will be much higher in year two of the Mike Vrabel era. That's not the most ideal setting to develop a tweener at left tackle who had issues as a rookie.
Also, tackles make much more money than guards, so the Patriots might come to regret doubling down on Campbell rather than moving him to another position when the time for extension negotiations arrives. They still have time to right their wrong, but it doesn't look like they'll do that any time soon.
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