Will Campbell, OT/G LSU: 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Campbell was a four-star recruit from Neville High School in Monroe, La. in the class of 2022
LSU left tackle Will Campbell is receiving a lot of attention as a potential early first round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Campbell has posted a large number of wins against NFL-caliber opponents because of his strong technical foundation, but his arm length and hand usage are limiting factors.
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Will Campbell, OT/G LSU: 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Junior left tackle from Monroe, La.
Background: Campbell was a four-star recruit from Neville High School in Monroe, La. in the class of 2022. He was the No. 36 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 54 for Rivals, and No. 40 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 14th in the nation with a 90 grade out of 100. Campbell got on the field as a right tackle because of injuries during his high school freshman season and never left. He helped Neville go 10-3 and make a state semifinal appearance as a sophomore. The team also made the state semifinals during Campbell’s junior and senior seasons. Campbell was invited to the 2022 Under Armour All-American Game. His father, Brian, played college football at East Texas State University, which is now called Texas A&M-Commerce.
Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 2022 Tennessee game with an illness that caused his hospitalization
Awards: 2022 Second Team All-SEC, 2022 Freshman All-SEC, 2022 Freshman All-American (ESPN, FWAA), 2023 First Team All-SEC, 2023 Team Captain
Pros: Former freshman starter in the SEC, smooth and natural footwork, kick slide is repeatable and consistent, footwork to mirror pass rushers, excellent range in pass pro, steps to and takes the air out of the pass rush, plenty of examples of nice tight hand placement, wide base when engaging defender in pass pro, anchor to eat on Dallas Turner’s bull rushes with ease (2023), anchor neutralized Dall Turner’s long-arm move (2023), not fooled by spin moves, recognizes stunts early, excels at knowing when he has help from his guard or running back, creates horizontal displacement on down blocks, effective sealing Dallas Turner outside on B-gap runs (2023), uses his frame well to create running lanes, comfortable climbing to the second level
Cons: Committed five penalties in 2022, arm length appears shorter than ideal, arm length seemed to allow defenders easy access to chest, must protect his chest better, room for pad level to improve in pass pro, speed to power occasionally gets him, inconsistent landing first strike in pass pro, needs more resiliency in hands, more independent hand usage required, needs more counters vs. long-arm moves, balance concerns occasionally pop up vs. swim and push-pull moves, can be overaggressive in jump sets, Dallas Turner beat him inside on a jump set (2023), footwork when pulling is sloppy, should line up run blocks and angles better
Overview: Campbell became a starter at LSU as a freshman. His repeatable and consistent kick slide and smooth and natural footwork stand out immediately. He has the footwork to mirror pass rushers up the arc and around the pocket. Campbell has excellent range in pass protection. He uses jump sets to take the air out of the pass rush and keep defenders guessing. The former four-star recruit doesn’t appear to have ideal length for an NFL tackle. His arm length allows defenders to access his chest. He must do a better job protecting his chest with counters. Campbell can also improve his pad level in pass protection to help maintain leverage, even when he’s outreached. He struggles to land the first strike in pass protection, and speed to power occasionally drives him back into the pocket. There are plenty of examples of Campbell using tight hand placement, but his hands must be more resilient. The junior is still developing his independent hand usage and counters to combat power rushes and long-arms. His balance concerns occasionally show up when facing swim and push-pull moves. Campbell engages defenders with a wide base in pass protection. He has a solid anchor that allowed him to easily eat Dallas Turner’s bull rushes in 2023. The All-SEC tackle doesn’t fall for spin moves and usually recognizes stunts early. He’s a high IQ lineman who knows when and where his help is coming from the guard, tight end, or running back. Campbell can be overaggressive in jump sets, which showed up when Dallas Turner beat him inside on a jump set rep (2023). The young left tackle has faced a lot of high-end competition, but he’s suffered his fair share of losses. He was late off the line on LSU’s final snap of the game against Alabama in 2023, and Dallas Turner beat him around the edge for a quarterback pressure. Jared Verse beat him with speed to power on a long-arm move before getting into the B-gap and running down Jayden Daniels (2023). Darius Robinson logged a quarterback hit against Campbell on the first play of the second quarter thanks to speed to power opening the B-gap (2023). Robinson also won with 8:24 left in the second quarter on a pull move. In the run game, Campbell creates horizontal displacement on down blocks. He had plenty of success sealing Dallas Turner outside on B-gap runs. The Louisiana native uses his frame well to create running lanes and is comfortable climbing to the second level. His footwork as a puller is sloppy, and he is inconsistent at lining up angles for run blocks.
Overall, Campbell has a strong technical foundation that has helped him succeed against NFL-caliber talents through his first two SEC seasons, but his arm length and hand usage are areas that could generate long-term concern about his draft positioning. Campbell must refine his hands and improve his pad level in pass protection.
Role & Scheme Fit: Left tackle or left guard in an inside zone scheme
Round Projection: Second Round
Size: 6'6", 325 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 02-23-24