The New England Patriots have a lot of roster weaknesses to address early in the 2025 NFL Draft next April. Wide receiver is one of the most obvious examples. Cornerback and edge rusher need to be bolstered, too.
But a strong case can be made for targeting a left tackle in the first round, because without a good offensive line, it might not matter how talented the wide receivers are, or if the tight ends are capable of getting open. If franchise quarterback Drake Maye isn't protected on a consistent basis, the offense falls apart, which we've seen too many times this season.
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On a new episode of NBC Sports Boston's Next Pats Podcast, CBS Sports' NFL Draft analyst Mike Renner talked to Phil Perry about several topics, including the top-rated offensive lineman in the class, LSU's Will Campbell.
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Campbell is a top-five pick in a lot of mock drafts and could be an option for the Patriots, who own the No. 4 pick entering Week 14. What position will he play in the NFL?
"I think you have to start him at tackle. Will Campbell, the LSU offensive tackle, shorter arms but not so short that -- there are guys, I think, with shorter arms around the NFL getting it done at a high level," Renner said. "Braden Smith, Bernhard Raimann, the two tackles with the Colts -- who have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL -- both under 33-inch arms. It's not the death knell it once was. To play tackle, especially in today's NFL, you just have to be able to move, right? The stunts you see, the slants you see, the blitzes you see -- can you pick up a guy who's 240 pounds that runs a 4.5 40?
"You'll see way more of those guys in the NFL nowadays than guys who are 6-foot-5, 285 pounds with 35-inch arms that give you the worry about playing tackle in the NFL or that used to give you the worry about the short-arm guys playing tackle in the NFL. So I think he's worth a top-five pick just because I think he's that good and will be good in the NFL."
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Despite liking Campbell quite a bit, Renner doesn't view the LSU star as a can't-miss offensive tackle prospect. That said, he does see Campbell as one of only two plug-and-play starters among the offensive tackles in the 2025 class, with the other being Kelvin Banks Jr. of Texas.
"Now, I don't think (Campbell is), let's say, a Penei Sewell-level prospect, or a Tristan Wirfs or Andrew Thomas kind of prospect. I think he's a very good tackle prospect," Renner explained.
"I don't think he's an elite tackle prospect where you draft him, you plug him in and then he's a Pro Bowl player for the rest of his career. I don't quite see that, but there's only two guys in this tackle class that I even see as a plug-and-play starter. Or even close to that mold where you draft them and you don't have to worry about them because they're that good. (Campbell) and Kelvin Banks Jr., the Texas left tackle, are the only two. So they won't last long when that's the case."
Renner also thinks that if the Patriots want to draft a left tackle, they should do it in the first round. Unlike last year, there might not be starter-caliber tackle prospects in the second and third rounds.
"The Patriots aren't the only team that needs a tackle. They won't last long," Renner said. "You won't be able to wait until the second round to get one, or the third round, like they tried last year to get one and obviously we've seen how that worked out."
"But I do think that, if you're drafting in the top five, maybe it's not the best value, maybe there might be better players at their respective positions elsewhere in this draft. But the need is so much.
"I look at the Patriots roster like this -- you could win an AFC East title with this receiving corps, but you can't win an AFC East title with this offensive line. You're never going to. I don't care how good the rest of the roster is, you can't do it behind that offensive line. So that's what has to improve first.
"Ideally, you're gonna do it through free agency as well. But I think in the draft, getting Drake Maye a franchise left tackle to protect him for maybe the rest of his career, is something I'd be very interested in if I'm the Patriots."
Also in this episode:
- How bad is the 2025 NFL draft class?
- Five things the Pats need to do to close out the season
