In case you missed it, the New England Patriots stunned the Buffalo Bills with a road win on Sunday night. While many will praise players like Stefon Diggs or Drake Maye for the signature victory, one underrated contributor flew under the radar: the fourth overall pick from this past draft, offensive lineman Will Campbell.
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Campbell was a key part of the Pats’ success on Sunday. He allowed almost no Bills defenders to get past him and didn’t give up a single sack all night. In fact, Campbell has allowed just one sack through five games in his young career, proving he was the right choice for the Patriots to draft.
After the game, NFL offensive line legend Andrew Whitworth had high praise for the former LSU Tiger.
“He’s a hell of a football player,” Whitworth said of Campbell on The Pat McAfee Show. “I called him the Taylor Lewan of Vrabel in Tennessee. He was his tone-setter, and that’s who Will Campbell is going to be for this team.”
Taylor Lewan is now doing the popular Bussin’ With the Boys podcast for Barstool Sports. But when he played for the Tennessee Titans for 9 years, he was by far their most menacing offensive lineman. He allowed the career of Derrick Henry to take off and helped turn the Titans into a legitimate playoff threat for several years.
“Will Campbell is a hell of a football player..
He’s a tone setter for that New England Patriots football team” ~ @AndrewWhitworth #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Mg2UjgSAnM
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 6, 2025
Now, in New England, head coach Mike Vrabel seems to have found his new version of Lewan in Campbell. The similarities are striking, as both stand around 6’6” and 315 pounds. Lewan also attended a high-profile college similar to LSU: the University of Michigan.
Although, there are still a few bumps the Pats need to smooth out with their young lineman. Campbell has slightly shorter arms than average for his size, and while that hasn’t been a major issue so far, there will be times when defenders with longer arms could get the better of him. However, Campbell’s elite footwork has helped mitigate that concern.
Still, according to PFF, Campbell has been the 38th-best blocker compared to 113 opposing offensive tackles. While that is impressive for a rookie, he still has some work to do before being viewed as an overall elite player. At the end of the day, his footwork can only get him so far.
But this has been a great start for Campbell, and if he continues to get better, he should be a force to be reckoned with, in no time. Looks like the Pats and Vrabel chose wisely in this past draft.
One has to wonder what the ceiling of the team could be if the rookie lineman, Maye, and the entire Patriots roster can come together. Could they win their first division title since 2019? Only time will tell.
