2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: LSU OT Will Campbell

From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on LSU OT Will Campbell.

#66 Will Campbell/LSU OT – 6’6, 323 pounds (Junior)

MEASUREMENTS

 The Good

– Wins quickly with strong hands and powerful punch
– Gets to second level with good speed
– Strong athletic ability displayed in the run game, specifically pulling in gap schemes and reach blocking in zone schemes
– Good body positioning in gap schemes
– Impressive overall play strength
– Powerful upper body holds up well against plugging run defenders
– Vice grip leads to quick wins when hands get on first
– High IQ player who understands protection, is seen helping quarterbacks sort blitzers pre-snap

The Bad

– Concerning arm length at sub-33 inches
– Alarmingly high pad level
– Speed rushers with fast get-offs threaten the edge, resulting in oversetting and opportunities to win inside
– Hand placement can get too high and outside the frame of the defender, which leads to penalties
– Because of high pad level, the lower body base can be bull-rushed by powerful rushers in pass protection
– Overall inconsistency in 1v1 pass protection situations
– Gives defenders better chances to win when failing to attack first, cannot let them get into him
– Needs to recover better after losing immediately

Bio

– Will be 21 years old
– 3-year starter for LSU at left tackle, starting all 38 games and 2,553 offensive snaps
– 2024: 2 sacks allowed, 5 QB hits allowed, 11 QB hurries allowed
– 2024 consensus All-American
– 2024 First-Team All-SEC (AP, SEC Coaches)
– 2024 SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy (SEC Coaches)
– 2023: 0 sacks allowed, 5 QB hits allowed, 12 QB hurries allowed
– 2023 First-Team All-SEC (SEC Coaches)
– 2023 Joe Moore Award Finalist
– 2022: 2 sacks allowed, 3 QB hits allowed, 2 QB hurries allowed
– 2022 True Freshman All-America (ESPN)
– Committed to LSU as ESPN’s No. 4 ranked player nationally out of Neville High School in Louisiana, where he led his offense to back-to-back state semifinal appearances as a 5-Star
– Campbell’s youth baseball coach carried a copy of his birth certificate to prove he was allowed to play in his age bracket

Tape Breakdown

Will Campbell does not have the body type to survive as an offensive tackle in pass protection at the next level. His projection as a guard became more evident when watching his ability to pull and use great body positioning to win in the run game, along with his shaky inconsistency in 5-step pass protection situations. Campbell’s strong athletic ability is displayed when pulling, climbing to the second level, and blocking in space.

His ability to get out of his stance quickly puts him in a good position to win, even with shorter arms and a slighter build. However, his stance and pad level need to sink to provide a better chance to win in 1v1 pass protection. In the run game, his country-strong upper body holds up well against powerful pluggers, and explosiveness off the ball leads to immediate wins vs. quick gap shooters. When Campbell is on the attack with his powerful punch, he gets hands on quickly, and the rep is won. His vice grip puts defenders in a chokehold when he attaches, but he needs to work on using that punch early and often. A consistent plus is how often he wins when he DOES attack first.

But when he does not attach to defenders early, his shorter arms allow him to be controlled. Here is an example of his short arms being exposed in pass protection against a bendy rusher.

In the passing game, Campbell is threatened by speedier rushers, which leads to him oversetting, but that gives defenders opportunities to use an inside move, and he does not recover fast enough to win.

Another concern is his hand positioning, which continually shows up outside the shoulder pads and up near the head/neck area. His pad level is not low enough to put his hands in good positions to win, leaving his lower body strength weaker, which allows him to be bull-rushed. While Campbell needs consistency in how he uses his hands to attack, the flashes he shows when attacking first give me confidence. If he attaches with the defender before they attack him, I am confident he will be a positive pass protector.

At the next level, a move to guard will provide him comfort with the type of player he will be facing in pass protection, allowing him to develop his technique and athletic ability further.

Conclusion

I am projecting Will Campbell as a guard due to his short arm length and inability to win consistently in 1v1 pass protection on the edge. As a guard, he will provide a veteran presence with a strong IQ and passion to win. Pairing that with his amazing play strength in the run game and explosiveness to pull and climb to the second level will lead to a successful run scheme. Campbell still needs to improve his pad level and hand placement, but those issues are coachable. If he can hone in the ability to always be on the attack first, I believe he can be a non-replaceable starting guard on a good offensive line.

Projection: Day One
Depot Draft Grade: 8.7 – First Round (Year 1 Quality Starter)
Games Watched: at South Carolina (2024), at Texas A&M (2024), vs. Alabama (2024), vs. Oklahoma (2024).