What Will Campbell Told Eliot Wolf, Patriots Long Before NFL Draft

FOXBORO, Mass. — Will Campbell made up his mind well before he heard his name called in Thursday’s NFL draft.

Out of the 32 teams the 6-foot-6, 319-pound offensive tackle could get drafted by, Campbell had only one destination on his brain: the New England Patriots.

He wasn’t afraid to voice it, either. At least not to Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf as Campbell had a message for him this fall.

“This is where I’ve wanted to be since the start,” Campbell said. “Eliot Wolf came to my practice probably about Week 5 of the season, and I told him this is where I wanted to be.

“We’ve had great connections throughout this entire process. I told him and our area scout, Alex Brooks, that I wanted to be a Patriot, and that happened in the middle of the season. I’ve had great interactions with everybody throughout the process. A lot of them, private workouts, 30 visits, just being up there, getting to meet everybody. It’s just where I wanted to be, and I’m just super excited to get there.”

Everything came to fruition like Campbell hoped when the Patriots shrugged off any concerns about Campbell’s arm length and drafted him fourth overall.

The Patriots love the “nasty” edge Campbell plays with along with his football character, not to mention that he fills the team’s biggest need as well. Campbell laying out Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel last week in a workout solidified the selection for New England.

And Campbell believes what the Patriots have established over the years along with a complete faith in Vrabel’s coaching ability will allow him to succeed at the next level.

“I just think that the culture and the New England Patriot logo speaks for itself,” Campbell said. “I believe in the guys in that locker room. I believe in the quarterback. Coach Vrabel is my kind of guy. He’s all ball and no BS, and that’s what I want to play for. He’s very hands-on. He loves the players that he coaches, and I just want to be a part of that.”

Campbell will soon be a part of it and he’ll join the Patriots with a mountain of expectations to fulfill as the franchise’s lockdown left tackle. But it’s an opportunity that Campbell relishes, especially since it’s coming with the Patriots.

“It means everything,” Campbell said. “I played for an historic program at LSU, and now to play for one in New England, I guess I’m lucky. But I’m just super excited and thankful to wear that logo on the side of my helmet and across the front of my chest. It’s a complete honor, and I’m just excited.”