Patriots Draft Profile: Do Measurements Matter For Will Campbell?

The New England Patriots currently hold the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

It’s anyone’s guess how they’ll use it, but one thing that can’t be denied is that the organization can ill-afford to swing and miss with its ultimate decision — which is what makes the first installment of our annual draft profile series so interesting.

Will Campbell was once viewed as the clear-cut top tackle prospect in this class, but concern over his arm length and overall size has placed plenty of question marks on his status heading into April. We’d like to get to the bottom of these perceived issues, so let’s dive deep into everything about the player — including what he put on tape and how he profiles moving forward.

It’s time to decipher whether or not arm length means anything, folks.

OVERVIEW

Campbell put together some truly fantastic tape during his collegiate career, having started every game he played after arriving at LSU in 2022. The Tigers clearly didn’t worry about the length of his arms when asking him to block some of the best pass-rushers in the country every week, but nevertheless, those critiques remain at the forefront of his scouting.

What does Campbell think?

“I’ve shown everything that I need to, you know, to show that I can play tackle at an elite level,” Campbell said at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday. “You can go look at my tape. There’s not one play on there that when I get beat you say, ‘That’s because he has shorter arms.’ … I don’t have stereotypical offensive tackle arms. I’m aware of that, but people have to nitpick something. I’ve heard it all my career. I was coming out of high school and the college coaches all said the same thing. I proved them wrong. It’s something I anticipate doing again.”

It’s also something he’ll need to do again because the combine measurements came in and they didn’t look good for the 21-year-old.

NFL SCOUTING COMBINE

Campbell’s arms are kinda tiny, though the rest of his performance at Lucas Oil Stadium was impressive.

Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 319lbs
Hand: 9 1/2″
Arm: 32 5/8″
Wingspan: 77 3/8″

40-Yard Dash: 4.98 seconds
Vertical Jump: 32″
Broad Jump: 9′ 5″

STRENGTHS

Campbell’s reputation as one of college football’s best players was cemented when LSU’s coaching staff awarded him the No. 7, given to the best in-state playmaker the staff feels elevates the players around him. Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu, Leonard Fournette and Derek Stingley all previously earned the honor, with Campbell becoming the first offensive lineman to join them by way of a special patch.

It’s not like he’s some number merchant, though.

Campbell is an extremely fluid player who showcases an elite ability to adapt to rushers and plays with a mean streak. South Carolina’s Kyle Kennard will be the first to tell you that, and for all the talk about size, he’s showcased elite movement skills throughout the last several seasons that have him looking the part of an elite tackle or guard.

WEAKNESSES

Do you think we should talk about arm length more?

No?

Good, because we’d like to add to his list of weaknesses — if you want to call them that. Campbell has developed a couple of fixable issues that would need to be addressed at the next level: penalties and speed-to-power rushers.

You should be able to fix the former with some improved attention to detail, but that typically doesn’t come until an entire offense is comfortable within its system. The Patriots almost certainly won’t have that comfort for a while. It’s also paramount for as great an athlete as he is — and he’s a great one — that Campbell improves against elite power players. Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby feast against slow-to-anchor offensive tackles, and while they’re the best of the best, that’s kind of what you’d be looking for out of this kid at No. 4.

IS WILL CAMPBELL WORTH THE NO. 4 PICK?

No, but not for being a modern-day Tyrannosaurus.

The Patriots are in such a unique position, as the approach we assume they will take to the draft could look so much different after free agency commences. New England could sign two offensive linemen in free agency and completely shift its focus for the draft, but even as we currently look at this thing, Campbell isn’t the guy at No. 4.

Could he be the guy at No. 6 or No. 7, though?

Yep!

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel doesn’t necessarily care about the arm-length conundrum, but he does care about value. And if Campbell is an option at No. 4 it means that Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Penn State’s Abdul Carter have already come off the board — leaving at least one of Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders still available. New England should be selling off to the highest bidder at that point because the best way to get into contention is to take advantage of dumb, quarterback-needy teams. ESPN’s Matt Miller laid out exactly how beneficial that could be in a recent episode of “Foxboro Rush.”

Campbell has the makings of an elite tackle, but you can’t take advantage of the board while taking this particular player at No. 4.

It’s a game, don’t be scared to sit back and play it correctly.

If you’d like more individual profiles, check out our full series on NESN.com.