That wasn't so hard, was it?
When push came to shove, the Patriots made the smart move. After a flurry of action through the first three picks on Thursday night's first round in the NFL Draft, Mike Vrabel and the Patriots' front office did the predictable thing and took LSU left tackle Will Campbell. He was the first offensive lineman taken in this year's draft, and widely-considered either the second- or third-best prospect in this year's entire class.
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And as far as NFL comps go, it's hard not to see the Rashawn Slater comparison. The big knock on Campbell, of course, is that his arms are short. That's kinda it. But apparently that's a big deal in the NFL, and it was the single reason that people thought there was a chance he could fall towards the bottom of the top 10. Slater was also a tackle with small arms, and draft people mentioned the same thing – that he was probably better off as an NFL guard – that they brought up with Campbell all offseason.
Last season, Slater finished 2nd among all tackles according to Pro Football Focus' overall grade. In four years, he's started every single game he's played in (51) and has made two Pro Bowls. So if that's the guy the Patriots are getting, the Mike Vrabel era may be onto something.
Will Campbell can be the type of cornerstone player in the Drake Maye era that the Patriots need
For the Patriots, the pick was probably the easiest decision they'll make all day. Not only does it give them a cornerstone for the forseeable future, but Campbell gives them a flexibility on the line that they haven't seen in a while. He'll presumably start at left tackle – you don't take a guard fourth overall – but easily could in a pinch, and it's not like there are a bunch of secure jobs on the New England's line.
He also just has that type of attitude and motor that Mike Vrabel's known to love – you know when you're being described as "a future captain," the pick wasn't wasted.