Yeah, there's a strong case that Will Campbell is one of the most-pressure second-year players in the NFL right now. Here's the breakdown:
What happened in his "rough" rookie year:
- Drafted in the 1st round in 2025, Campbell started at left tackle most of the season but suffered an MCL sprain late in the year.
- He allowed 29 pressures in the regular season — but a staggering 14 came in the Super Bowl loss alone. Drake Maye was hit more times than any QB in history during that postseason run.
- Longtime concerns about his arm length resurfaced, though Coach Mike Vrabel says the playoff struggles were more about strength being sapped by the injury than physical limitations (from the Will Campbell page).
Why the pressure is on in 2026:
He's still the starting left tackle at just 22 years old, protecting franchise QB Drake Maye. A strong training camp is critical to prove the playoff debacle was injury-related and not a long-term problem. The Patriots added rookie Caleb Lomu in the first round too, adding competition to the O-line mix.
What the experts are saying:
On Establish The Run, there's already chatter that the Patriots' offseason moves might signal they're "already thinking about moving Will Campbell into guard" — though the team has publicly said he's staying at left tackle. . If the struggles continue, that position switch conversation is only going to get louder.