Mike Vrabel Makes Patriots’ Stance On Will Campbell Crystal Clear

LSU’s Will Campbell just might be the most polarizing player in this year’s NFL draft.

Campbell’s arm length and whether it will significantly hinder him trying to play left tackle at the next level has been hotly debated leading up to the draft. It has some thinking that Campbell might be better off playing guard instead of left tackle, where he started 38 games in college.

It gives the Patriots plenty to think about as they could potentially draft Campbell at No. 4 overall since New England is in desperate need of filling their left tackle void. And Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel made it clear that he views Campbell as a left tackle.

“I think you have to,” Vrabel told reporters from Monday’s NFL owners’ meetings, per team-provided video. “I don’t understand how you can watch him play in the SEC, which is the best conference in college football, against guys that are going to get drafted, at that position. So, I don’t think you have to project it. You could just actually watch and say, ‘There’s the snaps at left tackle.’ Evaluate it and see what you think.”

Campbell’s arm length measured 32 5/8 inches at the NFL Scouting Combine, which is below the 33-inch minimum teams usually look for in successful left tackles and could scare teams away from drafting him. Campbell’s arms did measure 33 inches at his pro day and he sounded off on his critics that focused solely on his appendages instead of his on-field play.

Campbell, who took a top-30 visit to New England, reportedly “has fans” inside the Patriots organization for his hard-nosed play style and confident bravado.

For the Patriots, that might be more of a deciding factor than Campbell’s arm length.

“According to a team source, the Patriots’ front office during Bill Belichick’s final years — most of which remains intact today — cared less and less about arm length for offensive tackle prospects,” the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan reported Monday. “So if Vrabel, the new man in charge doesn’t care, either, why would that change?”