Drake Maye sends 5-word message to Will Campbell as Patriots draft star OT with No. 4 pick 

The New England Patriots decided to go with LSU Tigers star Will Campbell with the fourth-overall pick in this year's NFL draft. The offensive tackle spent four seasons with the Tigers, establishing himself as a key player on defense. Last season, he was honored as a Consensus All-American while winning the Jacobs Blocking Trophy.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was excited with the team fortifying the trenches by drafting the LSU star. On Instagram, he shared a story about Will Campbell's draft while giving his approval to the pick with a few fire emojis.

Drake Maye's Instagram story (Credit: Instagram/drake.maye)

On X, Maye made his feelings known about Will Campbell:

"Love this guy already. LFG"

One of the top requirements of the New England Patriots in this draft was to strengthen their offensive line, hoping to find a long-term solution at the left tackle position. During Drake Maye's rookie debut as a starter, he was sacked a total of 34 times on the field.

Furthermore, Mike Vrabel's team was the worst team when it came to pass-blocking win rates (51%). The Patriots came second last in run-blocking win rate (67%), exposing their problems at the offensive line. Will Campbell is now expected to be a part of the starting lineup alongside right tackle Morgan Moses and center Garrett Bradbury.

Head coach Mike Vrabel opened up about how he saw Will Campbell as a true left tackle. He also spoke about how the offensive tackle was eager to prove his worth to the franchise during their follow-up meeting last week.

"When we went down there to work him out, he showed up with one purpose and that was for us to pick him...He had one objective and that was to prove to us that he was the right player for us." Patriots reporter Mike Kadlick tweeted while talking about Vrabel's comments.

---

Will Campbell left feeling emotional after hearing his name called by the New England Patriots

For the ex-LSU star, hearing his name as a top-five draft prospect will be a moment he will never forget. Campbell was seen shedding a tear when asked to express his thoughts on playing for the Patriots. The crowd in Green Bay cheered on the offensive tackle while he gathered his thoughts to make a comment.

"Man, just all the hard work," Campbell said. "I've worked my entire life to be up here, expecting to get my name called by a franchise like New England. It means everything to me."

Last season, the Patriots finished 4th in the AFC East with an underwhelming 4-13 campaign. It will be interesting to see if they can go back to being a Super Bowl contender with an addition like Campbell to the roster.