FOXBORO — Patriots rookie offensive tackle Will Campbell passed his first in-game test Friday in his preseason debut against the Commanders.
Campbell was a standout in the Boston Herald’s preseason [film review](https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/10/patriots-commanders-film-review-treveyon-henderson-rookies-shine-and-23-more-takeaways/), and he received an 85.4 overall grade from [PFF](http://pff.com) in his 14 offensive snaps.
Still, Campbell wasn’t satisfied with the performance.
“I just feel like I’ve got to get better,” Campbell said Sunday. “We have to get better as a team. There’s still a lot of meat left on the bone, no matter what really happened on the scoreboard. I feel like this team, we have a lot more that we can do.”
PFF didn’t charge Campbell with any pressures. He was a standout performer as a run blocker, finishing blocks with pancakes downfield.
The rookie out of LSU was involved in the pressure allowed that led to quarterback Drake Maye’s strip sack, however. Commanders defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton slipped through Campbell and rookie left guard Jared Wilson on a stunt with edge defender Jacob Martin. PFF charged Wilson, not Campbell, with the sack.
Head coach Mike Vrabel ultimately called the play a “bad decision” by Maye, who attempted to throw the ball away. It slipped off of his hand, however, and was recovered by Martin.
“We just got to pick up the stunt,” Campbell said. “We do it every day in practice. Now, it’s just got to go to the game. It’s very fixable. So, that’s something we’re working on, and we obviously know that’s something that can’t happen. So we’ll get it fixed.”
It certainly appears that Wilson will be the Patriots’ starting left guard next to Campbell to start the season. Wilson has been a standout throughout training camp, while Campbell has ridden the “rookie rollercoaster,” as one source put it to the Herald.
Campbell and Wilson trained together this offseason, and they’ve been building chemistry in practice now for weeks.
“That trust, that bond,” Campbell said. “It’s very exciting for both of us to be playing next to each other. We’re just going to keep growing and try to put our best foot forward each and every day.”
A clip of Campbell burying Commanders cornerback Noah Igbinoghene to the turf on an 18-yard run from fellow rookie TreVeyon Henderson has been regularly posted online since Friday’s game.
Veteran center Garrett Bradbury, who’s starting next to Wilson, said that’s the mentality that Patriots coaches want from their offensive linemen.
“He’s taking what he’s being coached,” Campbell said. “That’s what they’re coaching us to do. That’s the identity we want to have, not only as an O-line, but as a team. And, yeah, it’s a great finish, you know? And then it’s, ‘Alright, get back up and do it again.'”
Campbell had multiple pancake blocks during Friday’s game and looked comfortable blocking NFL defensive backs in space.
“That’s something that we preach for a whole team,” Campbell said about finishing blocks. “We want to set the tone the way that we play. I wasn’t the only guy doing that. Everybody was out there finishing, flying around, and I feel like that showed. …
“The NFL is obviously a lot bigger jump than in college, but just being able to get out there, get in space, show my athleticism is something I enjoy.”
Campbell and the rest of the Patriots’ offensive line will be tested this week with two joint practices with the Vikings, followed by Saturday’s preseason game in Minnesota at 1 p.m. ET. He’ll be tasked to block Vikings edge defenders Jonathan Greenard and Dallas Turner, a 2024 first-round pick, in those practices and the preseason game.
Campbell may be riding that rookie rollercoaster, but nothing in Friday’s preseason debut sent him for a loop.
Originally Published: August 10, 2025 at 2:03 PM EDT