How well did Will Campbell play in Patriots’ preseason debut?
The rookie left tackle had a few highlights as a run blocker in Friday's win.
When the Patriots selected Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the hope was that he could protect Drake Maye’s blindside for years to come. His first preseason game didn’t prove whether that will be the case, but Campbell showed some promise, particularly in one aspect.
The Patriots’ rookie left tackle made a few standout blocks in the run game over the 14 snaps he played in their 48-18 win over the Commanders on Friday. Two of his more powerful blocks came when he pulled to the outside, helping Rhamondre Stevenson rush for a seven-yard gain on the Patriots’ first play from scrimmage.
Campbell’s other notable block while pulling led to an 18-yard gain for fellow rookie TeVeyon Henderson on a toss play. On that play, Campbell nearly got to the sideline before throwing a block on a member of the Commanders’ secondary, creating a lane for Henderson to pick up a first down.
That wasn’t Campbell’s final strong block in the run game for the evening. On a carry when Stevenson rushed for a three-yard gain up the middle, Campbell drove the defender he was blocking over 10 yards down the field. The Patriots scored a few plays later to take a 14-0 lead when Drake Maye rushed for a five-yard touchdown.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel noted Campbell’s effectiveness in the run game, tipping his cap to rookie left guard Jared Wilson as well.
“I certainly did see their play demeanor kind of stand out,” Vrabel said of Campbell and Wilson. “I think that’s a good place to start, is with that. Being downfield, finishing through the whistle and everything, we embrace that here.”
Pro Football Focus agreed with the assessment that Campbell had a strong showing in the run game on Friday, giving him a 90.4 grade in that facet of the game. In terms of Campbell’s pass blocking, PFF gave him a respectable 72.6 grade.
While PFF credited Campbell for zero pressures and sacks allowed over his eight pass-blocking snaps, he might have played a hand in the Patriots’ lone turnover of the game. In the first quarter, Commanders defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton broke through the left side of the Patriots’ offensive line and stripped-sacked Maye before recovering the fumble he forced.
PFF credited Wilson for allowing the sack on that play, while some blame could be placed on Maye for either not eating the sack or getting rid of the ball sooner. Vrabel even called out Maye for the turnover, calling it a “bad decision.”
Still, Vrabel seemed to recognize that the protection from Campbell and Wilson could’ve been better on that play, too.
“Those are some things that we’ll continue to work hard on,” Vrabel told reporters when asked if Campbell and Wilson missed a block on that play. “We were able to pick ’em up in the practice. They ran a few of ’em over there against us in practice. We just have to be able to carry that execution into the game.”
As for how others assessed Campbell’s performance, Boston.com’s Khari Thompson believes his stock remained flat following Friday’s game. On Maye’s five-yard touchdown scramble, Campbell was able to seal the edge and allowed the quarterback to run to his left before reaching the end zone untouched. But Thompson noted that Campbell initially getting beaten on a speed rush led to Maye’s scramble.
Former Patriots offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse noted that the strip sack was a “great teach tape” moment for Campbell and Wilson. SB Nation’s JP Acosta, meanwhile, wrote that Campbell looked “ready to play some football,” adding that he was intrigued by the performances from him and Wilson.
As for how he assessed his own play, Campbell believes he got into a good rhythm, but gave a pretty standard review.
“Stuff to learn from, stuff to clean up,” Campbell told reporters. “Good to get out there for the first game and feel it out. Just continue to stack.”
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