Patriots mailbag: Is Will Campbell a done deal? And who will have final say in the draft?

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A lot has happened with the New England Patriots since they won that ill-fated season finale and cost themselves the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. A new coach, a  (somewhat) transformed roster, a new era.

Now, at long last, we’re a week away from the draft. Questions abound regarding what the Pats will do, especially in Round 1. Let’s answer the ones you’ve got in today’s mailbag, hitting everything from Will Campbell’s arm length to who is making the final call on draft night. Let’s dive in.

With Will Campbell, can you trace the origin of this arm-length thing? I’m not sure a potential top-five pick has ever been so scrutinized for one random measurement. Has a left tackle prospect ever become a bust because of short arms? Is this a story planted by a rival agent, or is this our new AI/algorithm-driven media that has replicated a dumb story over and over? Or is this actually legit? — M.D.

While the value placed on a prospect’s measurements has increased in recent years, the on-field play in college still matters most. That’s why Campbell is likely to be the Patriots’ selection at No. 4.

That said, the arm-length stuff is actually legit. That’s because if Campbell comes into the NFL and succeeds as a left tackle, he’ll be a total outlier. No one in at least 15 years has succeeded at that position with a wingspan as short as his (77 3/8 inches). And very few have succeeded with arms as short as his (33 inches). A lot of teams have a minimum cutoff closer to 34-inch arms for their offensive tackles.

Now, I certainly understand that a quarter of an inch — or even a full inch — sounds like nothing. A lot of offensive line coaches would make the same point.

But scouts would say it’s incredibly important. Long arms help offensive tackles prevent speedy edge rushers from quickly getting around them and getting to the quarterback. You can certainly overcome that, as Campbell mostly did at LSU, but your margin for error becomes much slimmer. Overstep to the outside, and you can be beaten on a spin move inside. Don’t step outside quickly enough, and this modern age of twitchy pass rushers can easily get around you.

That’s why it has rarely been done before. No one with Campbell’s measurements (at least since NFL Scouting Combine data became readily available 15 years ago) has excelled at left tackle in the NFL. He could break the mold. That’s what the Pats would be hoping. But he’d be an outlier.

To me, he’s quite similar to Brandon Scherff, who was a stud left tackle at Iowa and figured to be a tackle in the NFL. He was chosen with the No. 5 pick in 2015. His measurements are very similar to Campbell’s. They had basically the same weight, speed, and explosiveness (as measured by vertical jump). They both had arms shorter than 33 1/2 inches (a frequent cut-off for teams). During Scherff’s rookie season, Washington moved him to guard, and he has played there ever since.

I’m curious why Brandon Scherff hasn’t been more of a comp for Will Campbell.

Same weight, speed, vertical, both LTs in college, both with sub-33.5-inch arms.

Scherff was drafted top-5 to be an OT but moved to guard (and was great there). pic.twitter.com/YGykGfu9iu

— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) April 16, 2025

If Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are gone, why not go with Ashton Jeanty? I understand the running back value argument. However, we need playmakers, and a great running game will help Drake Maye. — Jeff E.

Whoever the Patriots pick at No. 4 is going to have a cap hit of roughly $8 million this season — and $14 million after their fourth season. That’s important context when deciding whether to take a running back, a position that tends to earn much less than, say, a left tackle or wide receiver.

Last year, Derrick Henry signed a deal with the Baltimore Ravens worth $8 million per season. And only two running backs in the entire NFL (Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey) have an annual contract value of more than $14 million.

So the reason I wouldn’t take Jeanty isn’t because of his talent or that he wouldn’t help the team. I wouldn’t take him because you want your first-round pick to provide value on his contract, and if the Pats take Jeanty at No. 4, they’ll almost immediately be paying him like a top-10 running back. It’s hard to get much value from that.

I appreciate Pats Nation’s angst over getting weapons for Maye, but why not look at Mason Graham or Jalon Walker at No. 4 if Travis Hunter/Abdul Carter are gone? — Greg G.

Now this is an interesting scenario, even if it’s a dice roll that you could still get your left tackle.

But the Patriots shouldn’t be tied to simply drafting for need. Take talent over need when your top-end talent is as bleak as theirs. Walker has a ton of upside but is undersized and will take a creative coach to get the most out of him. Graham is undersized, too, with short arms. Those are the reasons against taking them. But the Pats still need defensive line help, so I’d be willing to consider this argument as long as they can trade back into the late first round to pick a tackle.

Also, while we’re talking defensive line help, my mind went to Shemar Stewart during Mike Vrabel’s news conference earlier this week when he raved about Danielle Hunter. Their athletic profiles are almost identical (and astounding!), and both struggled to put up big sack numbers in college. If Vrabel loved Hunter, it’s not a stretch to think he’d love Stewart.

What are the realistic chances of the Patriots trading back in the draft? — Mark M.

Slim. I talked to someone from a team who picks outside the top 10, and they said they’d be shocked if someone moved up for the fourth pick.

Here’s the rationale: This draft class has two blue-chip prospects (Hunter and Carter). After that, the next tier has around a dozen prospects. So why move up to No. 4 when the player there is likely rated around the same as the No. 10 player?

Maybe if the Patriots are willing to take a net loss in the trade based on value charts, they could pull off a deal. But I’d be surprised.

If Hunter and Carter are gone, what should the Pats do at No. 4 if a trade back does not present itself? And based on what they choose, how should they approach Rounds 2 and 3? — Ian B.

I’d try like heck to move back. But assuming I can’t, I’d pick Armand Membou and bank on his athleticism helping him make the transition to left tackle.

The most boiled-down description I heard contrasting Membou and Campbell is this: Campbell is safe. High floor. He’s going to be good, but he might be a guard. Membou has the higher ceiling. With his athleticism and longer arms, he has a chance to be a top-10 left tackle in the league. Given how bad the Patriots need upside and high-end talent, I’m taking Membou.

After that, I look to wide receiver. Stefon Diggs is 31 and coming off an ACL tear, so he isn’t enough for me to ignore the position. So I’d be targeting Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins in the second round.

Do you have any sense of the dynamic in the Pats’ war room on draft night? Say there’s a trade or a player drops. Would Vrabel overrule Eliot Wolf in front of everyone in real time if they disagreed? Or do they have a plan for every contingency? — Malcom W.

Right now, this is Vrabel’s show. And more to the point, even if Wolf might technically be able to wave around his title, I think he understands the best way for him to keep this job is to go along with what Vrabel wants.

This has happened for NFL personnel leads. In Philadelphia, Howie Roseman once lost power over the draft and roster to Chip Kelly. But he went along with it and eventually got that power back. Now, he has a pair of Super Bowl rings.

So behind the scenes, I think Wolf knows this is Vrabel’s show right now, and he’s going to do whatever he can to support him. You never know what’s coming a couple of years down the road, and there’s little incentive in trying to win a power struggle with the brand-new coach who has a good relationship with the owner.

(Photo: Petre Thomas / USA Today)

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