Will Campbell
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The Patriots picked Will Campbell with the No. 4 pick in last year's draft.
Just because the New England Patriots won the AFC doesn’t mean they’re going to sit back and rest on their laurels.
The Patriots are going to be aggressive with their first-round pick, according to NFL insider Jason La Canfora of Sports Boom, and may target another offensive lineman.
New England won the AFC East with a 14-3 record last season and reached Super Bowl LX before falling to the Seattle Seahawks, 27-13. But no Super Bowl loser has gotten back to the big game since the Patriots did so with Tom Brady in 2018-19.
Report: The Patriots are Going to be Aggressive at the Draft
Picking 31st, the Patriots may have a hard time getting an impact player in the first round. But they may have a solution, especially since they have 11 selections at next month’s draft.
“They’re going to be aggressive,” one general manager said, according to La Canfora. “They’ll move up if they have to.”
New England had a coming-of-age season with second-year quarterback Drake Maye and an easy schedule. But La Canfora cited the Pats’ more difficult upcoming schedule next year as a reason they want to continue upgrading their roster.
“Quarterback Drake Maye took off in his first full season as an NFL starter and finished runner-up for the Most Valuable Player award,” La Canfora wrote. “But the Patriots benefitted from playing one of the weakest schedules in recent NFL history, and that will change exponentially next season playing a first-place schedule.”
The Pats struggled protecting Maye in the Super Bowl but also had a hard time rushing the passer, since they only had 35 sacks during the regular season last year. But according to La Canfora, the Pats will likely need to move up to take a pass rusher.
“The Patriots could certainly target a top pass rusher, but picking so low, the defensive side of the draft will be pretty picked apart by the time they select,” La Canfora wrote. “Even if the Patriots do not move up, the back end of the first round is always ripe with offensive lineman with potential to start quickly as rookies. ”
The Patriots Might Pick an Offensive Lineman in the First Round Again
Though it is not an issue to Hall of Fame offensive lineman Joe Thomas, the narrative of Will Campbell’s arm length is not going away.
So if the Patriots do decide to move up, it could be to take a left tackle to protect Maye’s blind side, with Campbell potentially moving away from the left tackle.
“The franchise has stood by left tackle Will Campbell, [but] he was exposed badly in the postseason and rival front offices would not be surprised at all to see the Patriots attempt to land one of the top tackles in this draft and could always shift Campbell to the right side,” La Canfora wrote.
Some even think Campbell will ultimately change positions.
“Campbell would be better at guard,” another unidentified general manager told La Canfora. “That’s where he’ll end up.”
But La Canfora noted the Patriots may want to draft a tackle even if they intend to keep Campbell, the No. 4 pick of last year’s draft, at the left side.
“New England has Morgan Moses, nearing the end of his career, at right tackle and has an open starting spot at guard as well,” La Canfora wrote. “Even if Campbell has an okay season at left tackle, this is still an area of need.”