NFL
Will Campbell reflects veteran OL offseason workouts
Will Campbell is ready to showcase his improvement from a veteran offensive linemen clinic with the Patriots
Jake Seymour
Updated Jul 26, 2026 4:56 PM EDT
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Will Campbell knew he must get better at pass protection in his second NFL season, so he sought out help from those who have already excelled
The former first-round pick in 2025 traveled to Oklahoma to attend Rooks Performance, where veteran offensive linemen could share their tips and advice about their craft with one another
Landon Johnson. Tristan Wirfs. Dion Dawkins. They all combine for 23 years of NFL experience and 10 Pro Bowls. Campbell was in a nursery for offensive linemen
Naturally, he absorbed the rays of knowledge
“You’d be kind of dumb not to,” Campbell said. “When you’re around Lane Johnson, Triston Wirfs, Dion Dawkins, if they say something, like I said, they’ve all played almost 10 years plus, and all of them are all-pro at some point. They know what they’re talking about.”
Quarterback Drake Maye was under consistent pressure throughout Super Bowl 60, halting the Patriots’ offensive momentum in the process. Campbell struggled as a rookie, allowing 14 pressures, the most by a New England lineman since 2018 Campbell allowed 29 pressures — more than half of his 51 regular-season pressures — for the most since 2016, when the NFL started its Next Gen Stats era
Campbell’s poor performance left him stunned. He refrained from speaking with the media until the Patriots returned home
To assist in improving pass protection, New England bolstered its offensive line by adding veteran left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker moves Jared Wilson to center while Mike Onwenu and Morgan Moses are expected to reprise their roles at right guard and right tackle, respectively. Caleb Lomu, a 2026 first-round pick out of Utah, has been taking some reps for Moses with the team’s first offensive grouping
Videos posted about the Oklahoma workouts to social media showed Campbell participating in numerous activities with his fellow linemen, including running, lifting weights with a bodybuilder and former Navy SEAL and football drills. Ahead of the start of training camp, Campbell was seen pushing a pickup truck — as if it were a tackling sled — in a social media post
“We just got after it,” Campbell said
Once work was finished, Campbell and his new comrades spent time getting to know one another. He had never met Dawkins before heading to Oklahoma, where they developed a relationship that allows the young offensive tackle to seek out advice. It is a unique bond, as Dawkins’ Bills and Campbell’s Patriots will face off at least twice in AFC East divisional games
“He’s done it at a high level for a long time in this league and plays for a good team,” Campbell said. “Whatever he can teach me, that might translate to my game from his, I’m going to take it
“I worked with a lot of guys who have been around a long time and done it at a high level for a long time. Just anything that they can teach me that could help me, whether that’s football or off the field or just training, just being around in the same environment. I always want to put myself in the best position possible.”
If the Patriots are to take full advantage of their new offensive weapons, it will require stout pass protection from their offensive linemen. Campbell will play a large part of that
Now he is ready to prove it
“It’s exciting, good to be back,” Campbell said. “Good to see everybody. Just excited about what we’ve got. Ready to keep building.”
New England PatriotsPatriots Training CampWill Campbell
Jake SeymourWriter
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