Will Campbell vowed to ‘fight and die’ to protect New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye after being selected with the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Campbell rated as the highest offensive tackle prospect in the draft class and the Patriots moved quickly to bolster protection in front of their star QB.
The 21-year-old is expected to start at left tackle straightaway and addresses a gaping hole in the team’s offense, which ranked 31st and 32nd in the NFL in pass block and run block win rate.
Campbell spent three years at LSU, earning All-American honors and grading as the second best pass blocker in the country by Pro Football Focus as a freshman.
In his sophomore year, he was a first-team All-SEC selection and in his final season won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the top lineman in the SEC as well as being a consensus first team All-American.
WATCH: Will Campbell vows to ‘fight and die to protect’ Drake Maye
All the happy tears for Will Campbell 🥹 @Patriots
📺: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC 📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/y0V1WeAdwW
— NFL (@NFL) April 25, 2025
What did Drake Maye say about the Patriots selecting Will Campbell?
Maye seemingly couldn’t have been happier with the pick, taking to social media shortly after it was announced.
Love this guy already🔥 LFG https://t.co/r5Y5dFdTCv
— Drake Maye (@DrakeMaye2) April 25, 2025
Maye breathed life into the franchise following a terrific rookie season and Campbell is the latest addition to an exciting project going forward in Foxborough.
The QB was sacked 34 times during his debut year and Campbell has an excellent track record of avoiding just that – conceding only five across his three years in college.
The Patriots possess the most cap space in the league, recently hired Mike Vrabel as head coach and signed two stars in free agency – wide receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive end Milton Williams.
What did Mike Vrabel say about the Patriots selecting Will Campbell?
“This was a very, very easy pick for us,” Vrabel said. “Adding Will to our football team is about a foundational piece, a young 21-year-old that’s mature beyond his years.
“He’s a leader. He’s durable. He’s physical, dependable, accountable. He’s a quick study. We spent a lot of time with him. He made a huge impact on us.”
