The New England Patriots have already made their decision on Will Campbell to stay at tackle.
It’s up to the former No. 4 overall pick to make that commitment look wise.
Sports Illustrated included Campbell and Drake Maye in its list of “burning questions” for every NFL team as training camp begins.
The outlet asked how both young players will respond after a postseason in which Campbell allowed 14 pressures in the Super Bowl and Drake Maye took 21 sacks across four playoff games.
Those figures changed the ending of an otherwise encouraging rookie year for Campbell.
His assignment this summer revolves around the player New England saw before his knee injury remains capable of protecting Maye’s blind side.
Patriots Stand Behind Campbell After Playoff Slide
GettyHead coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots feels strongly about Campbell’s ability to perform well at left tackle.
The Patriots have quelled the noise regarding Campbell’s difficult 2025 postseason.
“Will’s 22 years old. He’s our left tackle,” Mike Vrabel said in February. “He’ll get better, he’ll get stronger.”
Vrabel also dismissed the possibility of moving Campbell to guard, reinforcing the plan New England carried into the 2025 NFL Draft when it selected him fourth overall.
That confidence makes more sense when Campbell’s season is divided at the point of his injury.
Before a knee issue sent him to injured reserve for four games, Campbell posted a rookie-best 76.1 Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade and allowed pressure on 5.5% of his pass-blocking snaps, per Patriots.com.
From his Week 18 return through the playoffs, his grade dropped to 39.2 and his pressure rate nearly doubled to 10.9%.
The contrast gives the Patriots food for thought, supporting February’s collapse as part of an injury-interrupted development curve.
Campbell returned for the regular-season finale after more than a month away. He then faced a demanding run of postseason pass rushes without much time to regain his rhythm.
His track record also encourages patience.
Campbell became a consensus All-American at LSU, won the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy and allowed only two sacks over 557 pass-blocking snaps during his final college season.
His rookie regular season suggested those credentials could translate before his knee became a factor.
Campbell’s Rebound Could Decide Maye’s Potential
GettyFOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 11: Will Campbell #66 and Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots look on during the third quarter of the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Campbell’s development matters because the Patriots already know what their offense can become when Maye has enough time.
Maye completed an NFL-best 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions during the 2025 regular season.
He also led the league with 8.9 yards per attempt and a 113.5 passer rating while helping New England finish 13-4, according to the Patriots.
The postseason exposed how quickly that efficiency could disappear when protection broke down.
Patriots.com noted that New England averaged 16.8 points per game in the playoffs and produced the lowest EPA per play by a Super Bowl participant since the 2001 Patriots.
Maye was also managing a right shoulder injury while Campbell played through the aftermath of his knee injury.
New England’s offseason plan has therefore placed considerable faith in internal improvement.
The team has not shifted Campbell inside or treated the Super Bowl as a final verdict.
Rather, becoming stronger and correcting technical issues that appeared when elite rushers attacked him is the mantra.
Patriots.com identified Campbell’s anchor as a central area for growth, noting that his vertical sets sometimes created room for defenders to convert speed into power.
Campbell doesn’t have to erase 14 pressures during the first week of camp. But he has to show that his pre-injury form was a foundation for greatness and not a temporary peak.
The Patriots have already answered where Campbell will play.
The more important answer will determine whether Maye can return to his regular-season form.
And can New England’s offense can hold up when the stakes rise again in January?
Patriots’ First-Round Pick Faces ‘Burning Question’ During Training Camp