The Curious Case of Will Campbell and the Offensive Line

The New England Patriots offensive line was improved this season, make no mistake about it. However, it's clear there's room for improvement. A tough Super Bowl performance has put the spotlight on the unit, especially the two rookies on the left side of the line.

Left Guard Jared Wilson out of UGA and Left Tackle Will Campbell out of LSU were put through a gauntlet these playoffs. From the LA Chargers to Houston Texans all the way to the Denver Broncos and ultimately the Seattle Seahawks. All of those squads have stout defensive lines, especially Houston where Will Anderson Jr. gave Campbell all he could handle in the Divisional round.

Campbell let up 14 pressures in the Super Bowl, a team high and a reason the offense struggled all game for the Patriots. The offensive line as a whole unit let Drake Maye get sacked 21 times in four post season games, a number that makes all of New England cringe and most likely is what led to a shoulder injury for the MVP runner up.

Don't write off Will Campbell.

He's getting criticism from all sides but the number four overall pick had a really solid rookie season until he tore his MCL in Week 12 and was put on IR for four weeks. Campbell didn't look the same in the playoffs as he did in the regular season. A big chunk of that is the competition and intensity rising in the playoffs, however, playing on a knee that was obviously less than 100% didn't do him or his star QB any favors.

Campbell doesn't need to move to guard, he needs to get healthy and continue to work on his game in the offseason. See how he responds in his sophomore season after coming off such a devastating showing in the biggest game of his life.

Fellow rookie Jared Wilson on the other hand should move to center next season, because that was his primary role in college and he was one of the most athletic centers coming out of UGA. Draft or sign a starting left guard and see what happens.

The right side will also need to be addressed, as starting tackle Morgan Moses is about to turn 35. He's coming off a great season where he was able to stay healthy and kept Danielle Hunter from the Houston Texans from making much of an impact on that Divisional game. The Patriots drafted Marcus Bryant in the 7th round last year, who played left tackle at Missouri. It bears wondering if New England would try to transition him to the right tackle spot.

Overall, there's a lot of work to do for the offensive line this offseason but there's no doubt protecting Drake Maye is everyone's priority for next season.