Charles McDonald: The only thing that Will Campbell is missing that separates him from a truly elite tackle prospect is arm length. That may give him trouble at the next level as he gets the challenge of dealing with NFL pass rushers, but his combine workout showed he has the next level athleticism to still win on the outside.
Campbell has been seen as a top tackle prospect for years now and there hasn’t been too much that has happened to change that. Barring injury, this is a 10-year starter on the offensive line.
Nate Tice: A smooth technician who seldom gets out of position with his feet or body as a blocker, Campbell already shows off very good hand usage and the ability to recover against defensive counters because of his calm and quick footwork.
LSU often puts Campbell on an island in dropback situations that will help his game translate to the next level, and he plays with good eyes and awareness as a run blocker and in protection, often anticipating defensive stunts and quickly adjusting.
His funky stance often does his athleticism a disservice. Campbell is an excellent athlete (which was backed up in Indianapolis) with the bend to thrust underneath his blocks with ease.
Campbell’s arm length is going to be the topic of discussion among talent evaluators (he measured at 32⅝ inches, just below the common team prerequisite of 33" for NFL offensive tackles), but it hasn’t hindered him against longer defenders in college because of his hand placement, technique, athleticism and ability to constantly create leverage on his blocks. This makes me think he can at least have a chance to stay out at tackle in the NFL.
He’s an extremely smart player, too, often calling out blitzes and defensive movement on his side of the ball.
That combination of athleticism and technique allows Campbell to mitigate his arm length deficiencies and stay at tackle. Even if he kicks inside to guard, he could be a needle-moving type of player on the interior.
