Eliot Wolf: Will Campbell struggled because of knee injury, not arm length

Will Campbell's arm length was a frequent talking point at the 2025 Scouting Combine and it came up again this year.

Campbell was a Patriots first-round pick last year and he was installed as their left tackle despite his arms being a bit shorter than teams usually like for players at the position. Whether that's the right spot for him became a question after the Super Bowl because of how much he struggled against Seahawks pass rushers during New England's loss, but vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf downplayed any concerns in Indianapolis on Tuesday.

Wolf said Campbell "has a set of skills that enable him to play with that arm length" and that the team believes a torn ligament in his knee was the main reason why his play fell short at the end of the season.

"When he came back from that injury, I personally didn't see the same level of lower body strength that you saw before the injury. I think the film would attest to that," Wolf said, via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. "He probably had three of his four worst games in the playoffs. Before that, I thought Will played really well all year."

Head coach Mike Vrabel said the Patriots are not considering moving Campbell to guard or anywhere else in the wake of the Super Bowl loss, so they'll be banking on improved health and more experience leading to better performance in 2026.