Will Campbell spent most of his junior season at LSU wanting to be taken by the New England Patriots when the 2025 NFL Draft rolled around. His hopes came true Thursday night when New England took him with the fourth overall selection.
Campbell said his desire to land in New England began in Week 5 of the college football season when executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf attended an LSU practice.
"We've had great connections throughout this entire process. I told him and our area scout, Alex Brooks, that I wanted to be a Patriot, and that happened in the middle of the season," Campbell told reporters Thursday after being drafted by New England. "I've had great interactions with everybody throughout the process. A lot of them, private workouts, 30 visits, just being up there, getting to meet everybody. It's just where I wanted to be, and I'm just super excited to get there."
It's easy to understand why Campbell was a bit emotional after hearing his name called Thursday.
What made the Patriots so appealing for the 21-year-old Campbell?
"The culture. The New England Patriot logo speaks for itself," he sad. "I believe in the guys in that locker room, I believe in the quarterback, and coach [Mike] Vrabel is my kind of guy -- all ball and no BS. That is what I want to play for. He's very hands on and loves the players that he coaches. I want to be a part of that."
Campbell got an idea of Vrabel's hands-on nature during a workout with the Patriots brass last week in Louisiana. Vrabel brought his own blocking pad to the workout, though he was sent to the ground a few times by Campbell. The head coach revealed Thursday the team was sold on Campbell after the workout.
Will Campbell's impressions on the Patriots
Growing up in Louisiana, Campbell wasn't a Patriots fan. But given the franchise's dominance from 2001-18, it was impossible not to see the Patriots almost every Sunday.
"I mean, they always used to just dominate. Every time that I turned the TV on and the Patriots were playing, they were dominating whoever it was," explained Campbell. "Tom Brady, Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman, [Rob Gronkowski], all those guys just dominating throughout the years that I was growing up. So, that's all I remember is them just winning."
Even though the Patriots are in a rebuild, getting to play for a franchise like New England is not lost on Campbell.
"It means everything. I played for an historic program at LSU and now to play for one in New England. I guess I'm lucky," he said. "I'm just super excited and thankful to wear that logo on the side of my helmet and across the front of my chest. It's a complete honor, and I'm just excited."
Will Campbell's playing style
Campbell is a no-nonsense competitor who will bring a lot of grit to the trenches in New England. Asked to describe his playing style, Campbell needed just one word: "Nasty."
You can understand why Vrabel likes this kid so much. Campbell expanded on what makes him so "nasty" on the field.
"I'm going to go out there and give everything I have every single play to protect my teammate, protect my quarterback, and put the Patriots in the best position possible to win games on Sundays," he said.
There has been a lot of chatter about Campbell's arm measurements and whether or not he'll stick at tackle in the NFL. He was asked if all that arm talk will give him another chip on his shoulder as he begins his NFL career.
"I'm just excited to get any opportunity that presents itself, to help the team any way I can, wherever that might be," he said. "I'm just excited to be a Patriot."
Will Campbell on Drake Maye
Campbell is coming to New England to protect quarterback Drake Maye, who was sacked 34 times during his rookie season.
"I'm super excited. He's a heck of a player and a heck of a leader," Campbell said of Maye. "He's the commander of our offense. I'm not only excited to play for him but the rest of the team. I'm exited for the future we have in Foxboro and I think we have a special season coming."
Campbell was excellent at keeping his quarterbacks clean at LSU, as he allowed just five sacks over his three collegiate seasons. Maye is already a big fan of Campbell even before he's had a chance to protect the QB on the field.
"I'm looking forward to meeting [Maye] and excited to building that relationship," Campbell told WBZ-TV's Dan Roche. "It's an honor. I've had a chance to protect a lot of good quarterbacks in my career, and I'm excited to get to work."
