The New England Patriots have the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which is a very valuable asset for the franchise to use in its ongoing rebuild.
You could make a case for the Patriots going in one of several different directions with their first-round pick. One of those paths is an offensive tackle. Left tackle is one of the most important positions in the sport, and the Patriots need a major upgrade in that area.
Protecting young quarterback Drake Maye is of the utmost importance, and finding a franchise left tackle would significantly help in achieving that objective.
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LSU's Will Campbell is the highest-rated offensive tackle in the 2025 draft, and on the latest episode of NBC Sports Boston's Next Pats Podcast, Lindsay Rhodes of Sumer Sports and Sports Illustrated made an argument for why New England should select the LSU star at No. 4 overall.
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"What about Will Campbell at No. 4 protecting Drake, which I would say is priority No. 1? You need pass catchers for (Maye), you need a bunch of different things. But priority No. 1, get an offensive line that can protect him," Rhodes explained. "And then the wide receivers that you put out there don't even have to be as good.
"There are examples of that up and down the NFL this year. If you can build out that offensive line to be super strong and protect the investment you have in your quarterback, then you have a little bit more maneuverability with the talent level that you need to get at wide receiver, which, obviously, does need to be upgraded."
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One reason why Rhodes likes the idea of taking Campbell at No. 4 is there aren't a lot of top-tier offensive tackle prospects in this draft class. So if you want to get one of these guys, it needs to happen early in the draft.
"I would say Campbell because the other thing about the offensive tackles is, and this happened at the Senior Bowl, when you look at the guys who are coming in as offensive tackles, there's a massive conversation about whether he's still an offensive tackle or does he need to move to guard or is he a center now," Rhodes said.
"And I was talking to an offensive line expert who I really respect, and I said, 'Who are the guys in this year's class that absolutely are tackles?' And he gave me four names, and Will Campbell I think is at the top of that list. But the fact that there's only four that somebody who studies these guys year round and knows them intimately would say they are 100 percent a tackle in the NFL, I think that you need to get that guy because there aren't going to be many later."
It's the classic debate: Best player or best available?
The Patriots absolutely need to upgrade their offensive line. This group struggled in pass protection and committed way too many penalties last season. And if Maye isn't protected, the offense is going to have another awful season.
However, reaching in the top four to satisfy a position of need when better players are available could backfire. Campbell is No. 11 on ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest draft rankings. Campbell is No. 8 on NFL Network expert Daniel Jeremiah's top 50 prospects rankings.
Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter would address a glaring weakness on defense, and he's a better prospect than Campbell. You could say the same about Colorado star and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who played cornerback and wide receiver in college.
It's a fascinating debate, and one that the Patriots will need to figure out in the coming months.
Also in this episode:
- What were the best position groups at the Senior Bowl?
- Is there an Eagles blueprint the Patriots could follow?
- Should the Patriots offer the No. 4 pick for Myles Garrett?