The final day of workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine featured the most important position group for the Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday: the offensive line.
Understandably, some question the importance of athletic profiles for the offensive line. It's a nasty, physical position more about play strength, technique, and mentality than who runs the fastest 40-yard dash. That said, athleticism for the offensive line is increasingly important because the pass-rushers on the other side are some of the freakiest players on the field. The increase in outside zone blocking has also led to more chiseled linemen who can move laterally in space. Mainly, we are looking for good explosiveness via the jumps and strong 10-yard splits in the 40-yard dash.
Although there's something to glean from the workouts, official measurements in Indy are the most critical aspect of the combine for offensive tackles. Keeping an eye out for weight and height outliers is important, but the most crucial measurement for tackles is arm length, with the NFL threshold for offensive tackles being 33 inches.
All eyes were on the draft's top blocker, Will Campbell from LSU, and his shorter arm length. Campbell is a strong, balanced, and easy mover with excellent football character who allowed just two sacks over the last two seasons playing left tackle in the SEC. Campbell flexed his elite athleticism with a 9.88 relative athletic score (out of 10). The LSU product is a top-10 talent in this class, but there are questions about whether or not he'll stick at tackle in the pros.
On Sunday, Campbell officially measured in with 32 ā -inch arms, putting him in the seventh percentile among OTs. According to our research, six current starting tackles play the position with under 33-inch arms, or roughly nine percent of the 67 tackles with 500-plus snaps last season. For Campbell, it's also worth noting that his 77 ā -inch wingspan would be a complete outlier for a starting tackle in the NFL, with the mean OT wingspan being 82.1 inches.
As a massive Campbell fan, this is a difficult pill to swallow. The hope was that Campbell would be in the ballpark of the arm length threshold, but he's notably below the required mark. With the fourth-overall pick in the 2025 draft, I can't in good conscience vouch for the Patriots to use a top-five draft pick on an elite guard prospect who could make it work at tackle.
The obvious question is, is arm length really that important that it's a deal-breaker for Campbell to play tackle? The answer is nuanced, but his poor length forces Campbell to be aggressive in pass protection by setting out to establish first contact. By doing so, he tends to drift outside, opening the inside track to the quarterback for rushers to cross his face. In other words, his lack of length shows up on film, which is why it's such a talking point.
The next question is, what if the Patriots play Campbell at right tackle instead of on the left side? To me, that's antiquated thinking. There's plenty of data that backs up right tackle facing just as challenging matchups as left tackle nowadays, while it does nothing to solve Campbell's issues. For example, top pass-rushers like T.J. Watt and Nick Bosa are among the many who prefer to rush over the right tackle, so you're not making life easier on Campbell by having him flip sides. Lastly, it's also noteworthy that head coach Mike Vrabel's Titans drafted former college All-American tackle Peter Skoronski with the 11th overall pick in the 2023 draft. The Titans immediately moved Skoronski inside to left guard as a rookie because he has 32 Ā¼-inch arms.
All signs point to the Patriots (and this scribe as a Campbell fan) accepting that there isn't a surefire franchise left tackle in this draft. As a team that needs to upgrade an O-Line that ranked 31st in pass-blocking win rate and last in run-blocking win rate a year ago, that's a bummer. If there was a Joe Alt-level tackle prospect, New England would likely be jonesing to make that pick at No. 4. Unfortunately, that's not the reality we're living in with a tackle class with imperfect options at the top of the draft.
Let's dig into more measurements and other takeaways from offensive line day at the combine.
Note: RAS stands for Relative Athletic Score. A score out of 10 that compares combine testing numbers to a baseline average at each position.
Is There an Argument for Drafting Campbell as a Guard?
Before we get to the rest of the class, one last thought on Campbell is whether we should purely view his value from the prism of him playing guard for the Patriots.
New England has some uncertainty at left guard, with recent draft picks Cole Strange, Layden Robinson, and Sidy Sow as their top options, a trio that hasn't consistently proven that there's a starting-caliber guard among them. As mentioned, Campbell has the makings of a cornerstone player at guard, a trend with a good track record in recent history.
The very good college tackle moving inside to guard pipeline has produced Zack Martin, Joe Thuney, Tyler Smith, and Alijah Vera-Tucker, among others. Interior pass-rushers like Jalen Carter and Chris Jones are landing on quarterbacks' laps now more than ever, following in the footsteps of Aaron Donald. The NFL is experiencing an influx of elite interior pass-rushers, so it stands to reason that teams need players who can block these game-wrecking defenders. As a result, the increase in contract value for the guard market is notable.
My stance on this is the Patriots probably don't have the luxury of selecting a player earmarked for guard at this point in their rebuild. Maybe that will change if they hit a grand slam in free agency. But they'd have to be in a position where their glaring holes at offensive tackle, wide receiver, and pass-rusher are filled.
Missouri OT Armand Membou Makes his Case for OL1 with Fantastic Workout
With some uncertainty about Campbell's ideal position at the next level, Membous is going to start receiving buzz to be the first offensive lineman taken in the first round of April's draft.
From this perspective, it's still Campbell by a decent margin, but Membou is going to stick at OT with 33.5-inch arms and an 82-inch wingspan at 6-4, 332 pounds. The former Tigers right tackle is an explosive mover, creating initial movement with instant speed-to-power out of his stance and heavy hands with a twitched-up upper body. He's flashy and athletic and put on a show in Indy with a 9.82 RAS and a great on-field workout. In particular, Membou's ability to hook the end in outside zone and combo-up on the frontside of run plays is eye-popping. He's also light on his feet to mirror pass-rushers on an island.
Membou's "areas of improvement" included maximizing his length consistently and playing more under control. He's a great athlete, but he'll sometimes get over his skis by lunging into contact or overshooting his landmarks because he's a bit overzealous. That said, I'd rather have to reel in his aggressiveness than try to get it out of him.
Ideally, Membou is a Patriots target after a trade-down because he started all 30 games at right tackle at Mizzou. But he's the best healthy pure OT prospect in this draft.
Examining the Measurables for Other Day-One Tackle Prospects
Three other tackle prospects are projected first-rounders: Kelvin Banks (top 20), Josh Conerly (top 30), and Ohio State's Josh Simmons, depending on his medical status.
Although they're all in the 33-inch range with modest length, all three first-rounders hit the arm length threshold. Banks and Conerly measured in with the same arm length, 33.5 inches, while Simmons was right on the mark with 33-inch arms. For reference, Chargers LT Rashawn Slater reset the league-wide threshold by playing an elite left tackle with 33-inch arms, while Lions star Penei Sewell also plays with arms in the 33-inch range (33.25").
Banks has high-end movement skills in space and good power to create movement on the line of scrimmage. However, he can get off-balance and struggle to change directions when he's pass-protecting, so he's slid down the board to the mid-first-round range rather than a top-10 projection. On Sunday, Banks tested with a good 8.30 RAS, posting the second-fastest top speed in the 40-yard dash to flash his explosiveness on the move (19.89 MPH).
Some of us hoped Conerly would last until No. 38 in the second round for the Patriots. The Oregon blindside protector has one of the highest ceilings in this class at just 21 years old. As expected, Conerly tested as a high-end athlete with an 8.69 RAS, showing good explosiveness with a 1.71 10-yard split and a 34.5-inch vertical leap. Based on the rumblings around the combine, it seems unlikely that Conerly will slip to day two.
Lastly, Simmons is recovering from a torn patellar tendon he suffered last October, and his medical checks were "very positive" in Indy, per NFL Network. Simmons said he's hoping to work out at Ohio State's Pro Day. Due to the injury, there's some uncertainty about where the talented Buckeyes left tackle could go, but his first five games pre-injury were dominant stuff. That said, Simmons was hurt before Ohio State played the meat of its schedule, so the level of competition is a factor.
Selecting from this tackle group with the fourth-overall pick feels rich, but the Patriots could consider them as options in trade-down or trade-up (from No. 38) scenarios.
Quick-Hit Takeaways From the Rest of the Offensive Line Workouts
- Minnesota OT Aireontae Ersery's athletic testing was consistent with his great movement skills on tape for a 331-pound tackle. Ersery explodes out of his stance to overtake blocks, can combo up to the second level, and widens the rush path with a good initial kick out of his pass set. There's some heavy-footedness in his redirects, and he plays high, but Ersery should be taken in the top 50 with an elite 9.89 RAS and quality tape, especially vs. Abdul Carter. Ersery finished third among OLs with a max speed of 19.76 MPH and posted a 1.75s 10-yard split in the 40-yard dash ā that's moving for a big dude. Ersery would be a nice option for the Patriots if he makes it to No. 38, but they might need to trade back into the first round to get him.
- Ohio State T/G Donovan Jackson is a day-two prospect who has the required measurables to play outside in the NFL (6-3, 315 lbs, 33.5" arms). Jackson took over for Simmons at left tackle for the Buckeyes and performed well. But his short corner created by a smaller stride length and a false step out of his stance gave me pause about him playing tackle moving forward. He looked more like a guard playing tackle out of necessity. Still, he'd give you valuable flexibility to be a high-end guard or a serviceable tackle in a pinch. Jackson didn't work out in Indy, but his wave drill and on-field work was excellent. Good football player.
- I'm a huge fan of Boston College RT Ozzy Trapilo, who played under Bill O'Brien and Doug Marrone while privately training with Dante Scarnecchia. Trapilo is a well-schooled blocker with great hand-fighting ability for balanced and heavy strikes that give him a rock-solid anchor. Trapilo checked the measurables boxes (6-8, 316 lbs, 33" arms) with a 9.0 RAS. Now, I'm wondering how high is too high to select Trapilo. Is he in play at No. 38? Based on the tape, I felt more comfortable with the BC product in the third-round range, but tackles are at a premium.
- Arizona T/G Jonah Savaiinaea has a wider build at 6-4, 324 pounds that is best suited for guard, but his testing numbers were really impressive, especially a 1.72s 10-yard split in the 40-yard dash, where he topped out at 20.02 MPH (third among OL) ā that's moving at 324 pounds. Savaiinaea has the athleticism (9.07 RAS) and length (33 ā ") to possibly stick at tackle at the next level. He has the makings of a road-grading right tackle in a Josh McDaniels offense.
- NC State OT Anthony Belton was a Senior Bowl riser who could sneak into the top 100 due to his power from a wide-bodied frame and hands that stun on contact. Belton wasn't expected to blow up the combine, but he held his own with an 8.06 RAS. He's an interesting option for the Patriots at No. 77 or No. 105, given his experience at left tackle and his fit in a downhill gap scheme that'll unlock his raw power. You could see the explosiveness out of his stance and in his hands in the pass-rush drop drill during the on-field workouts.
- Teams will need to vet OT Logan Brown's departure from Wisconsin, but the Jayhawks right tackle plays with good length (33 ā " arms), grip strength, and athletic ability. Brown registered a 9.44 RAS. He looks like an early day-three option.
- Although they won't be tackles, North Dakota State's Grey Zabel and West Virginia's Wyatt Milum will be starters on the interior for years in the NFL. It's a lofty comparison, but I can't help but think of Joe Thuney while watching Zabel: a college tackle who becomes an elite left guard in the NFL. He's a top-40 player in this class.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
