The New England Patriots’ Super Bowl 60 loss to the Seattle Seahawks exposed cracks along the offensive line. Rookie left tackle Will Campbell struggled under the bright lights, allowing heavy pressure as quarterback Drake Maye was constantly on the run. That performance fueled speculation that New England could explore replacing him this offseason.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf addressed those rumors head-on.
Eliot Wolf Dismisses Rasheed Walker Buzz, Backs Will Campbell
A recent report suggested the Patriots were among the teams monitoring Packers pending free agent Rasheed Walker. Wolf quickly dismissed it.
“I saw that report. And it’s not true,” Wolf said. “He’s under contract with the Packers right now. And the two teams that were linked with that particular player both drafted left tackles in the first round last year, so I’m not sure how accurate that would be.”
While Wolf rejected the Walker rumor, he acknowledged the broader reality. Offensive tackle remains a need. Vederian Lowe and Thayer Munford are free agents. Morgan Moses is 34, though Wolf indicated he expects Moses back.
Still, the organization’s stance on Campbell appears firm.
Drafted No. 4 overall, the 22-year-old started 11 regular-season games before suffering a torn MCL in week 12. He missed four games and returned late in the year. Campbell and fellow rookie Jared Wilson combined to allow three sacks and 12 pressures in the Super Bowl.
Wolf pointed to the injury as a factor.
“When he came back from that injury, I personally didn’t see the same level of lower body strength that you saw before the injury,” Wolf said. “I think the film [showed] that he probably had three of his four worst games in the playoffs. But before that, I thought Will played really well,” he said.
Arm length concerns followed Campbell into the draft. Wolf addressed that, too.
“I know everyone talks about the arm length, but he has a set of skills that enable him to play with that arm length. He’s really quick out of his stance. He’s technically sound. He’s adding more and more different pass sets to his tool bag,” he said.
Head coach Mike Vrabel has also made it clear Campbell will remain the team’s left tackle in 2026.
Internally, there appears to be little appetite to move him to guard or replace him outright. The Patriots believe the rookie’s regular-season body of work outweighs a difficult playoff stretch.
New England still has decisions ahead, especially with depth and long-term stability along the line. But as of now, replacing Campbell with a veteran free agent does not appear to be part of the plan.
