A dream come true for all college football players came true for Tigers’ tackle Will Campbell on Thursday night, as he was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Campbell will join one of the most decorated franchises in NFL history, the New England Patriots.
Many draft analysts said Campbell’s strengths are his consistent wins in matchups versus NFL-caliber players and his ability to maintain his health and avoid injuries.
In his three seasons at LSU, Campbell recorded 1,594 pass block snaps in 38 games, where he only allowed four sacks, according to PFF. The team played 39 games at LSU, and Campbell missed only one game during his senior season due to illness.
Campbell proved himself during his college career against multiple NFL players, including former first-round picks Jared Verse, Dallas Turner and Will Anderson Jr.
Campbell joins Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow and 50 other LSU players who were taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. He would be one of 35 players to be taken in the top-10 and 15 top-five picks.
Since the AFL and NFL merger, Campbell is the second LSU offensive lineman to get drafted in the first round, joining Alan Faneca, who was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1998.
Before Faneca, two LSU offensive linemen were picked in the first round of the AFL and NFL drafts. Dave McCormick went in the first round of the 1965 AFL Draft and the fifth round of the NFL Draft. In 1966, George Rice was picked No. 12 overall in the NFL draft and the third round of the AFL draft.