Ever since landing in Foxboro as head coach of the New England Patriots, Mike Vrabel has communicated a talent-over-need approach to the NFL Draft. That sounds well and good behind a podium, but Vrabel hasn’t exactly practiced what he’s preached, at least when it comes to the first round.
The Patriots have been desperate for a franchise left tackle after years of neglect from the previous two coaching regimes. It’s hardly a surprise that Day 1 tackles Will Campbell and Caleb Lomu were the first two prominent picks of the Vrabel era.
The decision to use the No. 4 overall pick on Campbell in 2025 stands alone, however. Similar to this past year’s draft class with experts quibbling over Spencer Fano, Francis Mauigoa, and others over measurables and NFL projections, Campbell was widely viewed as a solid option at tackle who could reach All-Pro levels as a guard. The Patriots opted to gamble on that versatility and upside over more impactful offensive players like wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and running back Ashton Jeanty.
It felt like the right move at the time. Bleacher Report’s recent 2025 re-draft only validates the decision further.
B/R’s Gary Davenport mocked Kelvin Banks to the Patriots at pick No. 4 over Campbell in his writeup, but we’re clearly splitting hairs here. He kept Banks, Campbell, and Armand Membou in the top 10, mocking Campbell to the Raiders at No. 6 and Membou to the Saints at No. 9.
“Yes, much has been made of Will Campbell's struggles in the postseason last year, and the 6'6" 323-pounder missed four games,” Davenport wrote. “But when he was healthy and on his game Campbell showed more than a little promise, and Campbell has the athleticism (in theory, at least) to play multiple positions on the offensive line.”
A recent NFL re-draft suggests the Patriots still made the right call at No. 4 overall
Campbell was far from perfect during his rookie year, but to Davenport’s point, there’s been some recency bias based on his struggles in the postseason. He went down with a torn MCL in his right knee in Week 12 and wound up missing just four starts. Had the Patriots found a way to beat Seattle in Super Bowl LX, Campbell would have been cemented as a New England folk hero due to his toughness and dedication to the team.
The commentary has probably swung too far in the other direction after Campbell allowed 20 QB pressures, per Pro Football Focus, in his five starts to close the season, including the playoffs. Campbell had only surrendered 25 pressures prior to the injury in Weeks 1 through 12.
The Patriots now have two young left tackle prospects in Campbell and Lomu, who they took with the 28th overall pick in the 2026 draft. It’s likely that one of them plays on the right side as soon as 2027 with Morgan Moses entering his age-35 season.
But even if Campbell moves to right tackle or right guard in the future, it’s hard to argue that Vrabel and the Patriots botched the pick. Davenport may prefer Banks over Campbell, but he used PFF’s metrics to support his argument. Both players ended up starting 17 total games, with Banks surrendering 46 total pressures to Campbell’s 45. That’s including Campbell’s rough playoff run against premier pass rushers from the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos who routinely teed off on a left side of the line that also featured a rookie in guard Jared Wilson.
So, again, we’re quibbling here. The 2025 draft produced three potential franchise tackles in Campbell, Banks, and Membou. All of them deserved consideration inside the top five picks. Vrabel went with his guy, and a healthy Campbell has a chance to prove him right in 2026.
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