Patriots’ Former No. 4 Pick Singled Out in New NFL Ranking

The New England Patriots‘ 2026 season will feature an offensive line that looks far more settled than it did a year ago.

But an important piece in the unit is drawing questions.

Pro Football Focus ranked New England’s offensive line No. 13 in the NFL in its preseason rankings released Wednesday.

Despite the relatively favorable placement, PFF writer Gordon McGuinness centered his biggest concern on second-year left tackle Will Campbell, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

McGuinness called Campbell’s response after a difficult finish to last season the “big question” facing New England’s line.

Campbell earned a 66.7 overall PFF grade during his rookie year, but his production dipped sharply after he returned from a torn right MCL.

PFF noted that Campbell finished the postseason with three consecutive games below a 55.0 grade, leaving his Year 2 outlook tied closely to how much the injury affected that stretch.

---

Patriots’ Campbell Gets Shot to Answer PFF’s Question

The concern surrounding Campbell has followed him since New England’s Super Bowl LX loss to Seattle, when the offensive line struggled to keep pressure away from Drake Maye.

Campbell suffered the knee injury Nov. 23 against Cincinnati and missed four games on injured reserve. After the season, Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf mentioned the injury when discussing Campbell’s playoff struggles.

“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 at the NFL combine in February, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Campbell later revealed that the ligament had been torn, while acknowledging he was healthy enough to play. Head coach Mike Vrabel also shut down speculation about a position change after the Super Bowl, saying Campbell would be the team’s left tackle.

Campbell spent much of the offseason rebuilding strength in the knee.

But his health has been under another spotlight during training camp after a minor left arm issue briefly limited him last week. He returned as a full participant Monday, though, before taking part in Tuesday’s joint practice with Indianapolis.

That practice offered an encouraging early sign for the entire group.

98.5 The Sports Hub reported that the Patriots’ starting offensive line turned in a “solid day” against the Colts’ pass rush, giving Maye time to operate and room to step up in the pocket.

---

New England’s Offensive Line Has More Help Around Campbell

Campbell also enters his second season with an upgraded supporting cast.

PFF highlighted the Patriots’ offseason addition of Alijah Vera-Tucker as a major reason for optimism. The former Jets guard posted a 77.7 PFF grade in 2024, though injuries have interrupted portions of his career.

New England’s projected group in PFF’s ranking has Campbell at left tackle, Vera-Tucker at left guard, Jared Wilson at center, Mike Onwenu at right guard and Morgan Moses at right tackle.

PFF favors the tackle spots in its formula, which increases the significance of Campbell’s development.

The Patriots invested heavily in their offensive line over the past two offseasons, beginning with Campbell at No. 4 overall in 2025.

Regardless, PFF’s No. 13 ranking suggests New England has enough talent to field an above-average unit.

How much higher it can climb could depend on whether Campbell’s late-season struggles were an injury-driven detour or an issue that follows him into Year 2.

Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.

This article was originally published on HEAVY

The post Patriots’ Former No. 4 Pick Singled Out in New NFL Ranking appeared first on HEAVY.