Patriots Hall Of Famer Had This Takeaway From Will Campbell Pick

One of the Patriots’ all-time greatest players believes New England became a better football team Thursday night.

Mike Vrabel’s side was poised to add a foundational piece to the franchise on Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft. While there were rumblings that the Patriots were looking to trade down in Green Bay, the six-time Super Bowl champions ultimately stayed at fourth overall and selected offensive lineman Will Campbell.

The decision received a glowing review from quarterback Drake Maye, who’s set up to have a “nasty” blindside protector for the foreseeable future in Foxboro, Mass. The Campbell pick also garnered a seal of approval from legendary linebacker and current ESPN NFL analyst Tedy Bruschi.

“Immediately got better tonight,” Bruschi posted to X. “Welcome Will Campbell.”

No, adding the LSU product wasn’t the sexiest thing the Patriots could have done very early in the first round of the draft. But after loading up on defense in free agency, it made sense for New England to focus on support for Maye in the draft. Vrabel and company did exactly that by selecting arguably the best O-lineman in the entire class.

To be a legitimate contender, you need to have top-tier players at premium positions. There are many reasons to believe the Patriots checked one of those boxes Thursday night.