Patriots take LSU’s Will Campbell with fourth overall pick in NFL Draft, addressing glaring need at left tackle - The Boston Globe (2025)

During the workout, Vrabel decided to put a blocking pad — that he brought himself — on his chest and joined Campbell and teammate Miles Frazier on the field. That willingness to partake in drills is nothing new for Vrabel, who did so during his six seasons as head coach in Tennessee and lone season as a consultant in Cleveland.

“I think it was important for me to get out there and feel him, and feel every player that we evaluated at the line of scrimmage,” Vrabel said.

So, how’d the reps go?

“I’m not going to lie, I got him on the ground,” Campbell said. “For him to get in there, it shows what type of commitment he has to his players.”

Quipped Vrabel, “If that tape ever gets out, people are going to have some problems. I hope that tape never sees the light of day.”

The interaction was one of several that solidified Campbell as New England’s choice for the fourth overall pick Thursday night.

“This was a very, very easy pick for us,” Vrabel said.

According to Vrabel, the Patriots would have been willing to entertain trade packages to move down the board — Tennessee turned down offers at No. 1, while Cleveland traded out of No. 2 — but they didn’t receive any offers. So, the team stuck to its plan and drafted Campbell.

“Adding Will to our football team is a foundational piece, a young 21-year-old that’s mature beyond his years,” Vrabel said. “He’s a leader, he’s durable, he’s physical, dependable, accountable. He’s a quick study. We spent a lot of time with him.”

In the 6-foot-6-inch, 319-pound Campbell, the Patriots hope they’ve secured their starting left tackle of the future. That position has been an area of concern for years, with repeated inconsistent and ineffective performance. Headed into Thursday, Vederian Lowe and 2024 third-round pick Caedan Wallace were the top left tackles on the depth chart.

At LSU, Campbell started 38 games over three seasons and allowed only five sacks in 2,553 snaps. He also logged an impressive 24-game streak in which he didn’t allow a sack. Campbell was named a team captain his sophomore and junior seasons.

Asked Thursday night to describe his play style, Campbell led with one word: “Nasty.”

“I’m going to go out there and give everything I have every single play to protect my teammates, protect my quarterback, and just put the Patriots in the best position possible to help win games on Sundays,” he said.

There are question marks about Campbell’s game translating to the pros because of his shorter-than-average arm length (32⅝ inches) and wingspan (77⅜ inches). Campbell would join a small group of NFL starting tackles with arms shorter than 33 inches but would be considered a historical outlier at the position with his wingspan.

Typically, players with his measurables eventually switch to guard.

Vrabel, throughout the process, has expressed confidence in Campbell’s skills with his measurables — and echoed that sentiment Thursday. He specifically highlighted Campbell’s ability to process and recover quickly from mistakes.

“It’s a total package,” Vrabel said. “For offensive linemen, it’s so much about a reaction of resetting your hand, chomping the arm down, all these tricks of the trade that they use. And they have to be able to make great decisions and split-second decisions. His body of work is out there on the left side against a lot of really good rushers.”

Asked about Campbell potentially moving inside, Vrabel didn’t want to look too far ahead. He acknowledged the learning curve, while lauding Campbell’s readiness in part because of his experience in a pro-style college program.

“What we’re focused on is where he’s going to be tomorrow and the next day,” Vrabel said. “We coveted this player. This is a very good football player. I think part of the draft is adding great pieces and great players to your roster, which is what we did. He hasn’t even showed up here in Foxborough.”

Up next for Campbell is a visit to Gillette Stadium Friday.

Some of his teammates, including quarterback Drake Maye, have already celebrated the pick.

“Love this guy already,” Maye wrote on social media.

The Patriots, meanwhile, have eight additional selections in the draft, starting with a second-rounder (No. 38 overall) and two third-rounders (Nos. 69 and 77) on Day 2.

Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com.Follow her @nicolecyang.