The start of the 2025 NFL Draft is just hours away, and who the Patriots will take with the No. 4 overall pick seems to be nearly confirmed already. That has been the case over the past few weeks, with pass rusher Abdul Carter and dual-threat player Travis Hunter appearing to be going in the first three picks, forcing the Patriots to reevaluate their strategy in the first round.
That has since made LSU left tackle Will Campbell the likeliest next New England Patriot, and the more intel that is revealed leading up to the draft, the more confirmation that pick continues to receive.
The Patriots have long been intrigued by the offensive lineman through the draft process, and with the idea of prioritizing the development of Drake Maye, adding a solid starting left tackle to the lineup is far from a bad idea, even if many fans won't be pleased with taking a tackle in the first round.
That looks to be the plan that Vrabel and Co. are going with, as the latest reporting from NFL insider Jeremy Fowler further proves the lengths the new regime has gone to do their due diligence in properly scouting and vetting Campbell ahead of tonight's draft.
Unless something out of this world happens, count on the Patriots drafting Will Campbell in Round 1
As if we needed more evidence that Campbell is most likely the Patriots' first pick of the 2025 Draft, the latest from Fowler drives that point home even more.
Hours before round one begins, the insider revealed that New England sent front office personnel to Louisiana to meet with Campbell again, reiterating their interest in adding him to their roster for the 2025 season.
#Patriots brass traveled to Louisiana in recent days to visit with LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell, per sources.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 24, 2025
New England has been linked to the All-American tackle with its No. 4 overall pick and is doing more work on him late in the process. pic.twitter.com/r1sm3WjT73
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Unless this is the foggiest smoke screen ever seen, it seems fair to believe Campbell will be the Patriots' first-round draft pick. It might not be the most exciting, and he might not be the player most fans were hoping for, but it's hard to argue that adding a starting left tackle isn't a good decision when Maye was running for his life during his rookie season in 2024.
The concerns about Campbell's arm length will inevitably be a topic of conversation, but based on his performance during his college career, there's no reason to suggest the Patriots pass on him to take a different player instead, especially since they need a lot of help on the offensive line.
Campbell already seems like the kind of player the Patriots have historically liked, especially Vrabel, and he has made it clear that he very much enjoyed his meetings with the team. That's a big plus, too, and can add a bit of optimism about an otherwise uneventful pick to most people.