The New England Patriots stopped a losing streak in its tracks with a hard-fought win in a most unusual place, in Miami against the Dolphins and the Florida heat. In so doing, they evened their record at 1-1 and slotted themselves into second place with a game lead over the Dolphins and Jets, who have yet to win. In the process, quarterback Drake Maye had the best game of his young career.
Landing in second place is not a shock, yet being there this early, after only two games, may be a bit of a surprise. With almost half of their entire 53-man roster consisting of new players, it was to be expected that it would take some time for the pieces to coalesce into a whole. Yet, already, some signs of that happening were evident against the Dolphins.
One area that still has a ways to go, though, is the offensive line. With four new starters, it is a work in progress, especially since the two on the left side are rookies. The Patriots gave up three sacks against the Dolphins and had several penalties. Those need to be cleaned up if they are to take the next level. Yet, there are positive signs for both the O-line and the offense in general.
Rookie left tackle Will Campbell is already emerging as a force for the Patriots
The quarterback on an NFL team will always be the center of attention. If he plays well, you have a chance to win; if not, your chances are slim. Yet, for him to get his job done, as Drake Maye did against Miami, the offensive line has to do its job too. It all starts with the left tackle, and Patriots' rookie left tackle Will Campbell is already getting a lot of positive attention.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) has ranked the top 15 NFL rookies through Week 2, and unsurprisingly, one Patriot landed in their top 10. It was the Patriots' fourth-overall pick and starting left tackle, Will Campbell. PFF ranks him 10th on their list.
"Will Campbell, New England Patriots (74.4) Campbell played 31 pass-blocking snaps against the Dolphins and did not give up a single pressure, earning an 81.3 PFF pass-blocking grade for his efforts. He was less effective in run blocking, however, recording a 4.2% impact rate across 24 snaps (down from 26.7% in Week 1). Campbell now owns a 65.7 PFF run-blocking grade through two games.
Most of his snaps have come in gap schemes (23), where he has recorded a 69.6 PFF run-blocking grade. Campbell holds the 10th-best PFF pass-blocking grade (77.7, first among rookies), and his 4.8% allowed pressure rate ranks fourth among rookie tackles."
Campbell has already begun to exhibit the qualities that prompted Mike Vrabel to waste no time in using his fourth-overall pick on him. The new Head Coach and top personnel evaluator brushed aside combine-number-driven stats about his arm length and narrow shoulders, and looked at his play on the field. Campbell already ranks high in PFF's ratings, and he's just getting started.
Will Campbell will be the 2025 All-Rookie left tackle
Seeing Campbell already ranked as the best rookie offensive lineman in pass-blocking by PFF should open some eyes and put to rest once and for all those foolish combine stat-related questions. He's also ranked 10th by PFF in pass-blocking overall. Yet, interestingly, his run-blocking declined from week one to two. Categorize any temporary decline in his run-blocking as an anomaly.
One of Campbell's premier abilities is his run-blocking. One game won't change that. Campbell is not just a good run blocker; he's a monster road-grader. He's never satisfied with one block if he can get in another on the same play and pancake the last. Unlike many other offensive linemen who go through the motions downfield, he'll seek to level more than one opponent if the play lasts long enough. Expect his run-blocking grade to soar exponentially as the season progresses.
After only two games, a lot of the questions about Will Campbell and his ability to play left tackle in the NFL are being dispelled. He's already excelling at pass-blocking, and he's only just beginning to learn the league and the competition. His run-blocking is not an issue. He's also already emerging as a team leader after his first two games. He's on his way to NFL stardom.
Will Campbell will be the All-Rookie left tackle; he will make the Pro Bowl in 2026; and he'll contend for All-Pro status in 2027 and beyond. He's one of the best Patriots draft picks in decades (as is Drake Maye). Mike Vrabel hit a grand slam home run with this Patriots' draft pick, well over the Green Monster and onto the Mass Turnpike.