The struggles of the Patriots' offensive line were on full display in their Super Bowl LX loss to the Seahawks, making it clear what needed to be their biggest offseason priority.
They seemed to have accomplished that by drafting multiple tackles, including in the first round, signing a starting left guard, and bringing in multiple backups to boost the group.
They are now expected to put out a new starting group for the 2026 season, with Alijah Vera-Tucker in at left guard, Jared Wilson moving to center, and Morgan Moses training the presumed next starting right tackle.
And although they're not replacing their left tackle, that doesn't mean that Will Campbell is out of the woods just yet. He was one of the weakest players on the offense down the stretch, and certainly struggled mightily in the Super Bowl, prompting a lot of conversation about whether he's fit to be the next franchise star.
Some analysts believe he's better suited at guard, so a position change is predicted to be on the horizon at some point. But Campbell's quarterback isn't backing down and recently expressed his confidence in what he can do in Year 2.
Drake Maye's support for Will Campbell is not wavering despite his Super Bowl struggles
While speaking to reporters after OTAs, Drake Maye was asked about Campbell's offseason thus far, since he has been a hot topic for much of the offseason.
Maye quickly showed his support for his left tackle, saying that Campbell has his head in the right place and that his experience last season will surely help him improve for the upcoming year.
“Will has got a great mindset. I think he kind of understands the business and what this league is about. He kind of got a similar experience to me. Obviously, the seasons that we had were different between mine and his first year, but he got the full length of the season, you know, the ups and downs of it. I think he’s got a great attitude.
He’s working his butt off. I think he’s got a little bit of extra motivation for himself to prove to us and prove to himself he can be one of the best players in this league at his position.”
The next few months are going to be very telling for the 22-year-old, who has a lot to prove to not only his teammates and Patriots fans, but those who believe he's not cut out to be the team's left tackle of the future.
So far, it's not just Maye who has openly voiced his support for Campbell; Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf have also shut down rumors about moving him to guard while sharing their belief that he is the right guy for the job.
He will have a lot of work to do to prove beyond any doubt that he can compete with the best of them, and he will take offseason training seriously, maybe even accepting veterans' offers to train with him this summer.
No matter what, Campbell has a big task ahead of him, and fortunately, he looked pretty good throughout most of his rookie season. But now that they're about to face some of the stiffest competition the league has to offer, just being good won't get the job done.
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