NFL Draft Rumors: 49ers pick 6'6", 323-pound star as Trent Williams' successor 

The San Francisco 49ers are gearing up to replace Trent Williams in the upcoming 2025 NFL draft, if Ben Standig's latest mock draft from The Athletic is to be believed. In the mock draft, the 49ers will bolster up protection for franchise quarterback Brock Purdy by selecting the 6-foot-6, 323-pound Will Campbell out of LSU.

Standig noted that San Francisco will likely draft Campbell as a guard and have him develop a bit before kicking him outside when the time comes for Trent Williams to retire, leaving Campbell to fill the void at left tackle.

"Campbell is considered the surest offensive lineman in the draft but with shorter-than-desired arm length," Standig wrote via TheAthletic.com. "San Francisco might begin Campbell’s career at guard while developing the 2024 All-American into the eventual Trent Williams replacement at left tackle."

Williams is currently 36 years old and likely in the back end of his career. He signed a three-year contract extension with the 49ers last September worth $82.66 million.

Drafting a standout collegiate tackle such as Campbell to learn behind Williams could prove beneficial in the long run. Campbell won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy with the LSU Tigers last season, as well as earning Consensus All-American honors. Campbell was also a two-time first-team All-SEC selection in 2023 and 2024. The 21-year-old just wrapped up his junior season, helping the program earn a 9-4 overall record.

Campbell last dressed out as an LSU Tiger in December, helping them earn a 44-31 victory over Baylor in the Texas Bowl. Now, he's considered to be one of the most NFL-ready linemen the 2025 NFL draft Class has to offer.

Former Patriots lineman has high praise for Will Campbell ahead of NFL draft

Syndication: The Record - Source: Imagn

Former New England Patriots offensive lineman Matt Light, who won three Super Bowls with the franchise, recently voiced his praise for Campbell. Speaking to 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak and Bertrand, Light said he hopes to see New England draft Campbell if he falls to them at the No. 4 overall pick, ahead of other top prospects such as Travis Hunter.

"I think that it's hard to win in the league today because there's so many variables, so many guys going down with injuries, so many guys that you're kinda banking on that don't end up being what you want," Light said via SI.com.

"But you can't go wrong with a big, solid human blocking for your most valuable guy on offense, so I'm always gonna go offensive line — especially if you're in a rebuild phase, which they are, obviously," he added.

That's certainly high praise from Light, a three-time Pro Bowler and former First-Team All-Pro with New England. He certainly knows offensive line talent when he sees it, so his high praise for Campbell should lend credence to the hype the LSU product has received of late.

Which team do you think should look to draft Will Campbell? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.