Unless either Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter or Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter falls to the New England Patriots at the fourth overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, New England is expected to grab either LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell or Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou with that asset.
For an article published on Monday, Patriots insider Chad Graff of The Athletic shared why he thinks Campbell will be the pick for New England at No. 4.
“Campbell was the best left tackle in arguably the best conference in college football,” Graff explained, “consistently going up against the nation’s best edge-rushers. He may eventually be a guard in the NFL, but he’s a safe pick with a high floor who can help bring stability to a Patriots O-line that needs it.”
Miami quarterback Cam Ward (Tennessee Titans), Hunter (Cleveland Browns) and Carter (New York Giants) will likely be the draft’s first three selections on Thursday night. There was no indication as of the Monday after Easter that the Patriots were strongly considering making a trade to move up in the draft order for either Hunter or Carter, as New England needs to acquire protection for second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
According to Pro Football Reference, Maye finished his rookie season with the league’s fourth-highest sack percentage (9.14 percent) among quarterbacks who made a minimum of eight starts.
Legendary offensive line coach/assistant head coach Dante Scarnecchia and former Patriots offensive lineman Logan Mankins (h/t ESPN) are among noteworthy members of the football community who have poured cold water over concerns related to Campbell’s arm length. For a different piece posted on Monday, Patriots beat reporter Chris Mason of MassLive predicted that New England will select Campbell over Membou.
“He may be a fine tackle for many years to come,” Mason said about Campbell, “but could also wind up kicking inside to guard. That’s quite a gamble at No. 4 overall, but it’s one the Patriots are left taking. Whether tackle or guard, Campbell is a really good football player who will help fortify a unit that needs all the help it can get.”
As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Campbell as the betting favorite at -450 odds to be the draft’s fourth choice. It’s unlikely any team is making a trade to move up to No. 4 for a tackle, so it seems that Campbell will soon be calling New England home.
