For the first time since 1997 when Alan Faneca got selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers, a LSU offensive lineman gets selected in the first round and that lineman is All-American tackle Will Campbell.
Campbell also became the highest drafted LSU offensive lineman ever when he was selected by the New England Patriots as the number four overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, which kicked off last night in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
With Campbell’s selection, he becomes the 53rd first round NFL Draft pick for the Tigers and the fourth for head coach Brian Kelly since he took over as LSU’s head coach in 2022. This also marks the second straight year in which a LSU player was the first SEC player selected in the NFL Draft when his former quarterback Jayden Daniels was selected second overall by the Washington Commanders in last year’s draft.
The former Neville Tiger became a three-year starter at left tackle for the Tigers capping his career as the most decorated offensive lineman in LSU history. He twice earned first-team All-SEC honors and was a consensus All-America as a junior in 2024. He also became the first LSU offensive lineman to earn consensus All-America honors since Ben Wilkerson in 2004.
Campbell instantly made an impact by earning second-team All-SEC honors as a true freshman in 2022 and was named Freshman All-America that year.
Campbell is now the fourth offensive player from that amazing 2023 offense that included Heisman Trophy winning QB Jayden Daniels to be drafted in the first round.
After protecting Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier the last three years by only giving up five sacks in three years, he is ready to provide the same level of protection for Patriots signal caller Drake Maye.
“I’m going to fight and die to protect him with everything I’ve got.”
LSU and New England Patriots OT Will Campbell
New England Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel is excited about having Campbell as their new left tackle of the future after the team struggled heavily in protecting Maye a season ago.
“This was a very, very easy pick for us. Adding Will to our football team is about a foundational piece, a young 21-year-old that’s mature beyond his years.
“He’s a leader. He’s durable. He’s physical, dependable, accountable. He’s a quick study. We spent a lot of time with him. He made a huge impact on us.”
New England HC Mike Vrabel
