New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel noticed something about LSU left tackle Will Campbell when the team had a follow-up meeting with him last week ahead of the NFL draft.
“He showed up with one purpose and that was for us to pick him,” Vrabel said. “From the time that we walked in the building to the time that we left and got on the plane, he had one objective and that was to prove to us that he was the right player for us.”
Campbell left the right impression.
The Patriots selected him with the fourth overall pick in the draft on Thursday night, adding a player they hope will solidify the protection of second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
Campbell is confident he ended up on the right team.
“I just think that the culture and the New England Patriot logo speaks for itself," Campbell said. “I believe in the guys in that locker room. I believe in the quarterback and coach Vrabel is my kind of guy. He’s all ball, no BS, and that’s what I want to play for.”
Early last season, when Patriots vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf visited LSU, Campbell told him his sights were on New England.
“This is where I’ve wanted to be since the start," Campbell said.
At 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, Campbell was a three-year starter for the Tigers and a first-team All-America selection as a junior last season. He was a three-time All-Southeastern Conference selection.
He described his style of play as “nasty.”
That was on display during a workout the Patriots put Campbell and other LSU players through. It included Vrabel, a former Patriots linebacker, lining up against Campbell and the other linemen.
“I’m not going to lie, I got him. I got him on the ground," Campbell said.
Campbell played 37 of his 38 college games at left tackle and logged 2,451 snaps. He allowed just two sacks over the past two seasons, and now he turns his attention toward protecting Maye's blind side.
Campbell would form a beefy combination with 6-3, 350-pound Mike Onwenu, the Patriots' starter on the right side.
“We coveted this player,” Vrabel said. “Part of the draft is adding great pieces and great players to your roster. Which is what we did.”
Vrabel said Campbell would be in the mix to start at left tackle but hasn't been handed the job.
“He hasn’t even shown up here in Foxborough. We’re not going to talk about where he’s going to play or what he’s going to do. I’m going to let everything really speak for itself,” the coach said. “We’ve watched every game that he’s played, put a lot of work into this and we’re all excited and happy that he’s here.”
New England finished 4-13 and missed the playoffs for third straight time last season, leading owner Robert Kraft to fire coach Jerod Mayo after one season and hire Vrabel, a former Tennessee Titans coach.
The Patriots’ offensive line ranked near the bottom of the NFL last season in pass-block win rate (51%) and was 31st in run-block win rate (67%).
That should improve with Campbell, who has said his favorite thing about football is the physicality that takes place on the offensive line. He should fit in with the attacking style that Vrabel said he wants to implement.
New England has eight remaining picks spread over every round except the sixth.
Campbell said he had numerous chances to talk with the Patriots ahead of the draft and developed a rapport with the coaching staff.
Those conversations included gauging his comfort with NFL terminology, which Vrabel said is similar to what was used in the pro-style system Campbell played in at LSU.
“They threw the ball a ton — a lot (more) drop-back snaps than pretty much anybody else in college football ... and it wasn’t (run-pass options) like everybody else," Vrabel said. "He’s pass protected, he’s run blocked, he’s coming out of a pro system. ... We’ll give him exactly what he can handle.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press
