FOXBOROUGH – Will Campbell hasn’t had to look far for help.
The Patriots first-round draft pick has been instantly placed into the Patriots top offensive line as Drake Maye’s projected starting left tackle. The No. 4 overall pick said he’s come to New England with an open mind and is willing to take advice from everyone.
That’s included several of his talented defensive teammates.
This spring, Campbell wasn’t able to practice in pads – that won’t happen until training camp – but he said his reps against a talented defensive line that includes Harold Landry, Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Keion White, and K’Lavon Chaisson have helped him greatly.
Those players have also taken it upon themselves to give Campbell advice on what he can do to slow them down.
“It’s been great. Not only Keion but KC, Harold, Milton, Christian – those are all guys who have played a lot of ball in the NFL,” Campbell said. “So, for me to be able to get that exposure in OTAs, it’s pretty good. They’ve been great teammates – showing me some stuff of what they’re looking for and things like that. It’s been pretty cool.”
The Patriots entered the offseason looking to revamp their offensive line. In free agency, the team signed veteran right tackle Morgan Moses and veteran center Garrett Bradbury. Campbell was the final piece to the starting offensive line puzzle.
At LSU, he developed into the top left tackle in the nation. A two-time captain, Campbell has also been lauded for his leadership ability.
His first offseason in New England has been more about retaining information and following in the veteran’s footsteps. Inside the offensive line room, Campbell has grown close with Moses. The 34-year-old has worked with Campbell during practice, after practice, and inside Gillette Stadium.
“Whenever you’re a rookie at any position, you look for a guy that you can come in and has done it the right way since he’s been in the league, proven himself, and is a great person that you can latch onto. He’s just been great to me,” Campbell said. “Not only me but all the guys in the room. That goes for guys like Garrett and Big Mike (Onwenu), too. We have a lot of guys who have played a lot of football in our room. They’ve been very good to the young guys – even the guys who are in their second year - helping any way that they can.”
From the help he’s been getting from his veteran offensive linemen and defensive teammates, Campbell feels like he’s acclimating well to the Patriots and the NFL.
Campbell said after practice, he’s met with Patriots defensive linemen. He said practicing against this group has helped, but their words of advice afterward have paid off this spring.
“They’ve been really good to me in the locker room after practice, giving me bits and pieces of what they’re looking for and things like that, that put me in a bind,” Campbell said. “It’s been really cool. They’ve been great teammates. It’s been awesome.”