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ItsGonnaBeMaye
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This Efton Chism guy deserves a lot more attention. He is going to be our new Julian Edelman. Kid looks incredible.
Karen Guregian: Patriots coaching legend believes Will Campbell has the tools to defy the odds
Why some noted coaches believe Will Campbell will be the exception to the arm length rule.
Short-armed tackles in the NFL are hard to find.
They exist, but they are few and far between.
And if we’re talking about left tackles specifically, the number of those with shorter than 33-inch arms don’t come close to filling out the fingers on one hand.
Needless to say, the odds are stacked against Will Campbell, whose arms measured 32 ⅝ inches at the scouting combine and 33 inches at his pro day.
In the big leagues, that’s not what you’re looking for. History suggests Campbell won’t survive at tackle.
So how does the Patriots first-round pick, who is expected to protect Drake Maye’s blindside, pull off the upset? How can he defy logic and prove all the naysayers wrong with arms that don’t spell success?
Dante Scarnecchia, one of the foremost experts on the subject, didn’t hesitate providing an answer. The Patriots legendary offensive line coach tackled the question with a simple observation having watched some of Campbell’s LSU highlights going up against SEC competition.
“He’s learned to survive against great pass rushers, even though his arms are whatever they are,” Scarnecchia said of the Patriots rookie. “I’ve never met him. I’m anxious to see him play. But I think a lot of people are more worried about this guy than he is about himself. I think that’s a great place for him to start.”
Campbell, taken with the fourth overall pick by the Patriots, isn’t shy when talking about his ability. He doesn’t understand all the fuss. He bristles at the short-arm stigma that’s already made him an NFL bust in some circles.
The notion seems to fuel him. But mostly, he’s made the arm length issue moot to this point thanks to the other elite tackle traits he exudes.
Brad Davis, LSU’s offensive line coach, said arm length was never an issue during Campbell’s three seasons with the Tigers.
“That’s a limitation that was set on him by the NFL. There were no limitations placed on him here,” Davis said when reached Tuesday. “He just always experienced success. It was a by-product of his work ethic. So that was something that was moot.
“We never felt, I never felt as his coach, that those limitations wouldn’t allow us to have success. Against the guys we played at, at our level in the SEC, I knew he had far more intangibles in regards to his toughness, his intelligence, his work ethic... all of those things were important to us. It’s never what he didn’t have. The stuff with arm length is nothing that we ever talked about, or thought about or even considered. He was the best player on our team.”
By Davis’ estimation, Campbell has gone up against plenty of pro-level competition over the past two years be it Will Anderson, Abdul Carter, Jared Verse or Shemar Stewart and emerged none the worse.
Scarnecchia has certainly taken note, watching Campbell’s highlights against those players.
“You see the qualities … Look, no one has questioned his athleticism and his skillset. No one has because there’s nothing to question,” Scarnecchia said of Campbell, who started 38 straight games over three years in the highly-competitive SEC. “He can really move. He’s athletic for the size he has. He can run fast, he can bend really well. He’s got great-change-of-direction skills. Everybody just has a hard time with his arm length.”
The Patriots Hall of Fame coach then launched into a tutorial on how short-armed tackles can succeed.
Scarnecchia explained that winning against powerful and uber-athletic pass rushers depends on who gets to the “junction point” first.
By that, he means getting from Point A, where the tackle is lined up, to Point B, where the rusher is headed if he’s lined up wide, a yard or so off the line.
“Between when you get there, and when that guy gets there, if you beat him to that junction point, you have a real good chance to succeed,” Scarnecchia said. “So therein lies the athletic part of it, the explosion out of your stance, getting to the junction point first.”
In college, Campbell got to that point ahead of the rusher more often than not. He was able to move his feet, square up and get his hands in position to fend off the attacker. He didn’t allow his hands to get knocked down, or the rusher to get into his chest and knock him backward.
That’s why he was a first-team All-SEC in 2023 and 2024, and a consensus All-American.
“Getting to the junction point before that guy does, that’s all about athleticism and quickness,” Scarnecchia said. “Then, to me, the most important thing, once you get there, you have to be in the best position possible to win. To me, that means your weight has to be slightly inside your midline.”
Why?
“Because the pot of gold is always inside you, and you better be at your strongest for those rushes,” Scarnecchia said, “because that’s the shortest path to the quarterback.
“You always set that rusher inside out. Never nose to nose. If you sit him nose to nose, he can go inside, he can try to go through you, or he can go around you.
“If you set him inside out, you’re pretty much mandating you gotta come through me, or you gotta go outside. So you reduce (the possibilities) by one.”
That’s standard operating procedure for all linemen, reducing the possibilities of how a rusher can get by you.
There are situations, however, when Campbell will be faced with greater challenges trying to keep the edge rusher away from Maye.
As Scarnecchia explained, that could happen on the road in a loud building. With a silent count, he’ll have a harder time anticipating the snap and using his quickness to get a jump on the rusher because he knows when the snap is coming.
Instead, he’ll have to wait until the actual snap, just like the rusher.
“You lose all advantage of your snap count because you have to start when the ball moves. Just like they can’t start until the ball moves,” Scarnecchia said. “So any advantage you might have had gets negated. But there’s ways you can help yourself. You vary the snap rhythm, and you have to practice it. You have to practice it all the time. Bill (Belichick) made us practice silent count every third day in training camp.”
Scarnecchia then turned the tables.
He talked about a few noted pass rushers. Just as he had done speaking with Patriots season ticket holders at a pre-draft party earlier in the month, Scarnecchia made his point with three names.
Dwight Freeney. Aaron Donald. Micah Parsons.
“Dwight Freeney, 32 inches. He’s great. First ballot Hall of Famer. Aaron Donald. He’ll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s 33 inches. Micah Parsons. He’s 6-1, 255-260. He’s got 54 sacks in four years,” Scarnecchia said. “How long are his arms? Thirty-one and a half inches. They come in all different sizes. They’re not all Jason Taylors, who had 34-35 inch arms.”
In other words, there will be occasions when Campbell goes up against someone with shorter arms. And once again, it’ll be a race to the junction point.
All of this isn’t to say that having short arms won’t be a factor. It most certainly is.
But that won’t preclude Campbell from having success.
Colts starting left tackle Bernhard Raimann (32⅞ inches), has gotten by with short arms. Ditto LA Rams starting left tackle Alaric Jackson (32½ inches).
Campbell could be the next.
Just by watching some clips, Scarnecchia can tell Campbell has been taught well, and understands the principles needed to succeed. That’s half the battle.
“What I’ve noticed about Will Campbell, is that he gets out there, and his hands are always in front of his body,” Scarnecchia said. “Your hands and your arms are your shield and your swords. Both of them.
“Look, this kid has already gone against guys that are NFL-caliber players. I think that’s a huge advantage to him. And to me, that lessens the risk factor.”
It’s also part of the reason why Mike Vrabel & Co. were confident selecting him as the presumed left tackle of the future. They were convinced he could handle the job.
Davis, naturally, has no doubt about Campbell’s future. And that future won’t involve being moved to guard because his arm length doesn’t cut it as a tackle.
“I understand why the NFL utilizes measurables and historic data,” Davis said. “But this kid is special. He knows no limitations. He will be an exception to whatever rule they have.”
That’s what the Patriots are counting on.
It was the kind of day that felt like it was written in a script.
Snow falling sideways at Gillette. The sky white, the field covered in powder, and 65,000 fans bundled up for what looked like a slog of a Sunday. But what we got instead? One of the most savage, complete, unapologetic beatdowns the NFL has ever seen.
Patriots 59. Titans 0.
From the moment the ball was snapped, it wasn’t just a game—it was a message. A warning. A masterpiece painted in white and red.
Laurence Maroney punched in the first score with a 1-yard run to open the floodgates.
Gostkowski hit a FG and that’s when it started to snow touchdowns.
In the second quarter—the single most dominant quarter we’ve ever seen from this team—Brady went nuclear. He threw five touchdowns in that quarter alone. Five. Like it was Madden on rookie mode.
He found Randy Moss on a 40-yard bomb that looked like it froze midair in the snow before Moss plucked it out of the sky and danced into the end zone. They did it again just a minute later. Then he hit Kevin Faulk. After that Wes Welker caught 2 to make it a cool 5 TD passes in a single quarter of football.
At halftime, it was 45-0. And we weren’t even shocked. We were just laughing in disbelief.
In the 3rd, Randy Moss caught another, because why not? The defense kept their foot on the gas, never letting Tennessee breathe. And just when you thought we’d call off the dogs, Brian Hoyer—the backup—snuck one in to cap it at 59. Just to add insult to injury.
We didn’t just win. We erased a professional football team from the face of the scoreboard. Negative passing yards. Total control. Every phase of the game, every player on that field was locked in. That day, in that snow, we weren’t just better—we were perfect.
This wasn’t about revenge. It wasn’t about making a statement. It was about showing what happens when preparation meets precision. When the greatest quarterback ever plays like it. When the Patriot Way hits maximum overdrive.
Fifty-nine to nothing. The most dominant win in Patriots history.
And honestly? Still feels great.
Snow falling sideways at Gillette. The sky white, the field covered in powder, and 65,000 fans bundled up for what looked like a slog of a Sunday. But what we got instead? One of the most savage, complete, unapologetic beatdowns the NFL has ever seen.
Patriots 59. Titans 0.
From the moment the ball was snapped, it wasn’t just a game—it was a message. A warning. A masterpiece painted in white and red.
Laurence Maroney punched in the first score with a 1-yard run to open the floodgates.
Gostkowski hit a FG and that’s when it started to snow touchdowns.
In the second quarter—the single most dominant quarter we’ve ever seen from this team—Brady went nuclear. He threw five touchdowns in that quarter alone. Five. Like it was Madden on rookie mode.
He found Randy Moss on a 40-yard bomb that looked like it froze midair in the snow before Moss plucked it out of the sky and danced into the end zone. They did it again just a minute later. Then he hit Kevin Faulk. After that Wes Welker caught 2 to make it a cool 5 TD passes in a single quarter of football.
At halftime, it was 45-0. And we weren’t even shocked. We were just laughing in disbelief.
In the 3rd, Randy Moss caught another, because why not? The defense kept their foot on the gas, never letting Tennessee breathe. And just when you thought we’d call off the dogs, Brian Hoyer—the backup—snuck one in to cap it at 59. Just to add insult to injury.
We didn’t just win. We erased a professional football team from the face of the scoreboard. Negative passing yards. Total control. Every phase of the game, every player on that field was locked in. That day, in that snow, we weren’t just better—we were perfect.
This wasn’t about revenge. It wasn’t about making a statement. It was about showing what happens when preparation meets precision. When the greatest quarterback ever plays like it. When the Patriot Way hits maximum overdrive.
Fifty-nine to nothing. The most dominant win in Patriots history.
And honestly? Still feels great.
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