The New England Patriots entered the 2025 NFL Draft with the No. 4 overall pick and, despite a week full of rumors leading up to Thursday night's first round, they have come away with their man and no one is happier than Drake Maye.
In a fitting manner, Mike Vrabel's first selection as head coach of the Patriots will be a player who makes his living in the trenches. Former Louisiana State University standout Will Campbell is officially off of the board at No. 4 overall as he should slide into the starting lineup on Day 1 to protect Maye's blindside.
With Campbell now in the fold, and the left tackle position set for what the franchise expects to be years to come, Vederian Lowe's future is now up in the air.
Patriots Drafting Will Campbell No. 4 Overall is Bad News for Vederian Lowe
Lowe may become a depth piece on the line, or a man who will be looking for a new home within the league. A move to left guard would seem unlikely given the fact that New England invested a first-round pick on Cole Strange in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Perhaps sliding over to the right side could help Lowe, as veteran journeyman Morgan Moses is the current competition there after signing with New England in free agency.
The addition of Campbell is a significant upgrade up front for the Patriots. He is a more complete prospect coming out of LSU than one can argue Lowe is now as a veteran of the NFL.
Lowe has a Pro Football Focus grade of 54.0, which ranked 101 out of 140 eligible tackles. Lowe was also called for 13 penalties, ranking 131 out of 140 tackles, and allowed five sacks, which was also among the worst in the league.
To put it frankly, a move needed to be made at this position and Campbell provides New England with an immediate upgrade at the left tackle spot now that he has walked across the stage in Green Bay.
Campbell was a longtime target of Vrabel and the brain trust in New England's front office as the staff reportedly visited with the blue chip offensive tackle prospect in Louisiana as recently as this week, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
A two-time All-SEC selection, as well as an All-American in 2024, Campbell was pegged as one of the top offensive lineman prospects in this draft class and this selection by the Patriots solidifies that fact.
Barring a trade down the line, Campbell's selection is the only pick the Patriots will make on Thursday night with second round pick set to come at No. 38. However, as we have seen in recent years, these selections at the top of the second round are highly coveted trade chips. It will be interesting to see what Vrabel and company elect to do between now and their next selection, whenever that may come.