LSU tackle Will Campbell’s official arm length measurement at the NFL Combine is 32 5/8-inches, under the consensus threshold of 33 inches for the position.
In our NFL Combine preview last week, we described the arm measurement for LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell as the “main event” of the NFL Combine. Offensive linemen are the last group to work out so the wait on that number lasted all week.
Sunday morning we got that number. Campbell’s arm length measured in at 32 5/8 inches, under the consensus bench mark of 33-inches NFL teams generally look for at the tackle position.
What does this mean? Big picture, there are likely teams across the NFL that will now view Campbell primarily as a guard rather than a tackle, and adjust their boards accordingly.
As for the Patriots, MassLive reported earlier this week that the Patriots “see [Campbell] as a tackle — arm measurements be damned,” adding “Campbell has fans in the organization.” Mark Daniels of MassLive noted after the measurement that “the Patriots view Will Campbell as a tackle with the understanding that if length became an issue, he’d easily move to guard.”
Asked about his views on offensive lineman arm length earlier this week, head coach Mike Vrabel said “I think arm length is good only up until the point to where you use it…If guys are sitting there and they’re catching or they’re clamping or their hands are outside, they’re not as long as maybe they would be if you punched.”
Arm length aside, Campbell has many of the makings of an elite offensive line prospect. For the Patriots though, the task now becomes deciding whether or not those traits will be enough for him to compensate for his length of reach at the tackle position.
The backup plan could be to move him inside to left guard, where he does project to be an impact player. However, if the team views that outcome as likely, they’d essentially have to be willing to use the fourth overall pick on the guard position, or try trading down while risking another team grabbing him before they get another chance.
If the Patriots do rule out Campbell, it doesn’t help that other tackles in this class also measured in with shorter arm lengths than expected. Texas’ Kelvin Banks and Oregon’s Josh Conerly both checked in at 33 1/2, Minnesota’s Aireontae Ersery measured in at 33 1/8, and Josh Simmons from Ohio State – who is also coming off of a significant knee injury – measured in at 33 inches exactly.
Beyond the draft, the Patriots could pivot to filling their left tackle need in free agency. On Sunday, the Boston Herald reported Ronnie Stanley of the Baltimore Ravens is among the Patriots’ “top targets” when free agency opens next week. Baltimore executives told reporters at the NFL Combine this week their hope is to get a deal done with Stanley, but the Ravens are currently projected to have just $12 million in cap space with 22 pending free agents.