When the New England Patriots drafted LSU standout Will Campbell, many draft experts were skeptical about one measurable: His arm length. It was a story of the entire offseason, during which Campbell was scrutinized.
During the NFL Combine, Campbell's arm length was measured at 32 and 5/8 inches. But many NFL executives typically prefer tackles to have a 34-inch arm length as the league minimum to better handle against edge rushers with elite bend and burst.
Outside of arm length, there is plenty to like about Campbell. As a three-year starter at LSU, he is battle-tested, having gone against a slew of NFL-caliber pass rushing prospects in the SEC. Yet, some wondered if he would be better off moving inside because of his arm length.
But to his credit, he pushed back on those narratives at LSU’s Pro Day, where his arms measured exactly 33 inches, quieting some concerns. He even had something to say about the narratives surrounding his arm length.
LSU OT Will Campbell on people scrutinizing his arm length: "For two years, nobody had any measurements on me, and nobody said anything about my play. So now, all of a sudden, arm length decides if I’m a good player or not? I think it’s BS." pic.twitter.com/Pmpz8YQEde
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 26, 2025
As the NFL training opened and Campbell began his professional journey, the news broke on Sunday that Los Angeles Chargers tackle Rashawn Slater inked a historic four-year, $114 million extension with a record-setting $92 million guaranteed money. He is now the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history.
Rashawn Slater's extension should serve well for Will Campbell
You can bet Campbell's ears perked up when he heard the news because Slater, like Campbell, also had to deal with the arm length narrative(33 inches) when he was drafted in the first round in the 2021 NFL Draft. Slater's success since entering the NFL is a testament to his dedication, but his extension proves that many teams tend to overthink, and elite performance trumps prototype measurements.
In the game tapes, Campbell has shown he is a technician with outstanding hand placement, elite grip strength, and the ability to recover quickly. And the Patriots valued his core traits over surface metrics, as they look to upgrade their offensive line to better protect their franchise quarterback, Drake Maye.
No one is anointing Campbell as the next coming of Slater just because of the arm length debacle. But you can bet Campbell is motivated to prove doubters wrong. And Slater provided a blueprint on how to thrive despite less-than-ideal measurables. If Campbell thrives, he could be the one who breaks the league record for highest-paid tackle in a few years.