Since his return from injury in the postseason, there has been a lot of discourse surrounding the future of Will Campbell as the Patriots' starting left tackle. Despite impressing for much of his rookie season, his performance in the playoffs and the Super Bowl was hard to watch, prompting many analysts and fans to question his fit in such a demanding role.
It has prompted plenty of rumors suggesting Mike Vrabel and Co. might choose to move him to left guard, a position many draft analysts believed was a better fit for him given his arm length, or even bring in some competition to put Campbell in the hot seat.
And while that may have seemed far-fetched at first, given they used the fourth-overall pick on the LSU alum last year, it appears the Patriots are, at the very least, testing the waters by meeting with a top-10 pick from the 2020 draft this past week.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Patriots brought in Jedrick Wills, the 10th overall pick six years ago, for a meeting, as he is looking to return to the NFL after missing the 2025 season due to an injury.
Given that he has spent his NFL career at left tackle, this doesn't feel like something to brush off as a standard meeting with a former first-round pick.
Will Campbell's future as the Patriots' starting left tackle might not be on solid ground
This is just the latest unfortunate news for Campbell this offseason, which began with rumors of the Patriots' alleged interest in pending free agent Rasheed Walker, with most analysts believing he would replace the current left tackle for the 2026 season.
That, of course, would require Vrabel's assurance that Campbell would not thrive at the position in the long term after just one season, and that replacing him that quickly was the only way to solve the issue, rather than giving him time to develop.
Although Eliot Wolf shot down the rumor involving Walker, it's clear the Patriots are at least looking into their options by meeting with Wills. Whether that has anything to do with their feelings on Campbell is unclear, but Wills is presumably looking for a starting role on his next team.
That would not include the Patriots, unless they're willing to test the waters or hope that bringing in some direct competition for Campbell would yield the kind of growth they're hoping to see from him this offseason.
There is a chance teams are weary of making Wills a starter after playing in just 13 games over the last three years, which would work in the Patriots' favor if they want to bring him in as a backup, especially since he has been a phenomenal pass blocker throughout his career.
It could be their best shot at getting in the level of backup needed, while also giving them a chance to see if Campbell really is the guy at left tackle. If not, then maybe it's Wills, and perhaps that's what they're thinking about, too, by meeting with him.