The New England Patriots are getting a look at their contingency plan behind starting left tackle Will Campbell.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported Friday morning that Campbell remains limited while wearing a brace on his left elbow.
The update comes after Campbell sat out competitive team periods Thursday, when the Patriots reached the stage of training camp where more scrimmage-type work is being incorporated.
Campbell debuted the brace during Wednesday’s walkthrough before remaining out of team drills Thursday.
There has been no indication that the issue is considered serious, but the practice rotation revealed something potentially important about New England’s offensive line depth.
If Campbell could not play, Reiss reported Thursday that 2025 seventh-round pick Marcus Bryant would receive the “first call” to replace him.
That decision also allowed the Patriots to leave first-round rookie Caleb Lomu on the right side, where he has spent almost all of his work this summer.
Bryant Becomes First Call Behind Campbell
GettyTAMPA, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 09: Elijah Roberts #95 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers interacts with Marcus Bryant #52 of the New England Patriots in the game at Raymond James Stadium on November 09, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Bryant handled the first-team left tackle snaps Thursday while Campbell had limited participation, a notable development for a player who saw little offensive work as a rookie.
The 6-foot-7, 320-pound Bryant appeared in 12 games in 2025 but logged only 19 offensive snaps, all of them at right tackle.
He has extensive experience on the opposite side, however, playing 2,706 snaps at left tackle during his college career at SMU and Missouri.
Bryant said his approach entering his second season has changed.
“Being able to come in and think like a starter,” Bryant said of his offseason mindset.
That progress has apparently pushed Bryant into a more prominent role than New England’s published depth chart initially suggested.
The Patriots’ unofficial depth chart listed him behind two other options at left tackle entering camp, but Thursday’s team periods provided an indication of where the coaching staff could turn if Campbell misses time.
Meanwhile, Campbell is the starter when healthy.
The 2025 No. 4 overall pick started every game in which he was available as a rookie, and New England committed during the offseason to keeping him at left tackle after he returned from a torn right MCL late last season.
Patriots Keep Caleb Lomu on Right-Tackle Track
GettySALT LAKE CITY, UT – AUGUST 29: Caleb Lomu #71 of the Utah Utes does a drill during warmups before their game against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Rice Eccles Stadium on August 29, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah.(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
Bryant’s emergence also helps the Patriots avoid disrupting Lomu’s development.
New England traded up to No. 28 in April to select Lomu, who played nearly all of his college snaps at left tackle.
The Patriots immediately began transitioning him to the right side, with the organization viewing him as a potential long-term successor to 35-year-old Morgan Moses.
That plan has continued throughout camp.
Moses opened camp as the starting right tackle, while Lomu has filled in when the veteran receives reduced work and was as an extra offensive lineman.
Reiss noted that Lomu has worked almost exclusively at right tackle, which helps explain why Bryant moved to Campbell’s spot Thursday rather than asking the rookie to switch sides.
So, it seems the Patriots have, at least, an early ideas of what their line will look like with Campbell entrenched on the left, Moses with the starting job on the right and Lomu continues developing behind Moses.
But is Lomu a better option on the left side than Bryant?
That’s the decisive inquiry as eyes are on Campbell’s left elbow during the rest of training camp.
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