It’s hard not to be excited when you hear your name called on night one of the NFL Draft. After all, it is a calling towards a potential future that would include trophies, fame, and millions of dollars. Although, when the New England Patriots called upon Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick in 2025, the star offensive tackle from LSU was distinctly emotional, crying and proclaiming that “I am going to fight and die to protect” Drake Maye.
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It was one of the most memorable NFL Draft moments that we’ve had in quite a while, and to make things even better, Campbell has seemingly lived up to that promise so far. After allowing 52 sacks in 2024, New England was able to lower that total to 48 this season, so while there’s still room for improvement, it’s clear that the 22 year old has helped to make a difference.
Nevertheless, while hosting Campbell during his latest podcast episode, the former Patriot, Julian Edelman, couldn’t help but to ask him, “Would you seriously die for Drake Maye?”
“I would,” Campbell smiled. “That’s my guy. I don’t know what made me say it in the moment, but it came out great. I stand by it.” In his first season working with Campbell and their new head coach, Mike Vrabel, Maye was able to lead the league in completion percentage, yards gained per pass attempt, passer rating, and QBR.
The Patriots were able to record their first 14-win season since 2016, back when Tom Brady was still busy collecting Super Bowls on a regular basis, and they entered their AFC Wild Card match up against the Los Angeles Chargers as -3.5 point favorite while Maye himself is still the favorite to win the regular season MVP award. Throw in the facts that their offense is the second-highest scoring one in the league and that they are moving onto the divisional round of the AFC playoff race, and it’s beginning to seem like they have found the magic that existed with the Patriots of old.
There’s still a good bit of football that needs to be played before anyone can begin to confirm that, but the evidence is clear. Not only is Campbell willing to fight and die for his quarterback, he’s also willing to do what’s necessary in order to win.
Viral videos of fans reacting to Campbell’s name being called from the fourth overall spot can be found all across social media, and many of those initial reactions were not welcoming. His subsequent message helped to win a lot of people over that day, and those who remained hesitant have since been won over by his rate of play.
To put it plainly, it looks like New England has special talent on their hands, even more so than they themselves may have realized, and if Campbell is somehow able to be a part of multiple playoff runs with them, then this could end up being the origin story of a future NFL Hall of Famer.
