New England hosted Campbell on a pre-draft visit.
The New England Patriots saw their roster improve with a handful of additions during free agency this month. But despite the external additions, one glaring hole remains at left tackle.
That turns the attention to the NFL Draft, where the Patriots are expected to address the position earlier rather than later. That could even result in the team using the No. 4 overall pick on a left tackle, which includes the polarizing Will Campbell.
A three-year starter at LSU, Campbell’s arm length has been one of the more discussed topics of the pre-draft cycle. Measuring in at 32 5/8 inches (21st percentile) at the NFL Combine — to go along with a seventh percentile wingspan — many believe Campbell’s NFL future will come inside at guard.
Speaking at the league meetings on Monday, Mike Vrabel, however, seems ready to let Campbell’s tape at left tackle do the talking.
“Yeah, I think you have to,” Vrabel responded when asked if they view Campbell as a tackle. “I don’t understand how you can watch him play in the SEC — which is the best conference in college football, against guys that are going to get drafted at that position — so I don’t think you have to project it, you can just actually watch and say there’s the snaps at left tackle, evaluate it, see what you think.”
Holding down the blindside for the Tigers, Campbell allowed just four sacks over 41 career starts. This past season he was named a consensus All-American.
New England has shown plenty of interest in Campbell leading up to the draft as they’ve already hosted the 21-year old on a pre-draft visit at Gillette Stadium earlier this month. But if they ultimately decide to look elsewhere at the position atop the draft, Missouri’s Armand Membou is the other top tackle prospect.
A fellow true junior, Membou played right tackle over the last three years in the SEC for Missouri. An elite athlete, Membou has the skillset to potentially flip over to the left side.
“I think they’re great young talented players that have great film,” Vrabel said of Campbell and Membou. “Will’s got a lot of snaps at left tackle. Membou’s played right. There’s a lot of guys that have played right and left and switched. Those are two good young players to talk about in that conversation. But there’s others throughout the draft as well.”
As things currently stand, New England is set to enter the draft with Vederian Lowe and Caedan Wallace as their top two options at left tackle. Vrabel noted that both players could factor into the competition at the position as the Patriots don’t want to purely draft based off of need.
“I just think you have to be careful. Hopefully, [need and best player available] can come together and align when you’re drafting,” Vrabel said. “But we certainly want to add premium players at the top of the draft and throughout the draft. That’s our goal.”