Will Campbell admits he took down Mike Vrabel during pre-draft workout with Patriots
Will Campbell convinced the New England Patriots he was their man in the 2025 NFL Draft at a private workout in Louisiana last week. Mike Vrabel was sold on Campbell's playing style and edge, and got to experience it all up close during the workout.
It's not every day someone can punch their future boss and still get hired (or in this case, drafted), but that's how it played out for Campbell, Vrabel, and the Patriots. Vrabel didn't just go to Baton Rouge to see Campbell work out; he wanted to be in on the action as well.
It led to Vrabel -- a former Pro Bowl linebacker who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots -- being sent to the ground by his future left tackle on a few occasions.
Will Campbell admits to hitting Mike Vrabel during workout
Shortly after the Patriots drafted Campbell with the No. 4 pick, ESPN's Pete Thamel shared the story of Campbell's workout with New England last Thursday.
"Vrabel ran the workout and wore a blocking pad over his chest. In a drill to execute a drive block, sources said that Campbell hit Vrabel square in the chest and knocked Vrabel back on his derriere," Thamel posted on X. "Vrabel loved it and had a big smile on his face as he gathered himself and got up."
Campbell was asked about the workout when he spoke with New England reporters after being drafted, and admitted to getting the better of Vrabel.
"Yeah, I mean, I got him. I'm not going to lie, I got him on the ground," Campbell said with a smirk. "I know we had a great lunch after."
Campbell later explained to WBZ-TV's Dan Roche that Vrabel brought his own blocking pad to the workout, and took every rep against him and his LSU teammate, Miles Frazier.
"He took every rep against me and my teammate for the entire workout. I got him a couple of times," said Campbell. "It was awesome. For him to get in there, it shows his commitment to his players and I'm super excited to get to work."
Vrabel was also asked about the workout, and didn't seem very enthused the story had become public Thursday night.
"Yeah, they all knocked me around pretty good. I'm close to 50 and if that tape gets out, people are going to have problems. I hope that tape never sees the light of day," Vrabel said back in Foxboro. "But it was important for me to get out there and feel him."
What Mike Vrabel loves about Will Campbell
Vrabel said Campbell cemented himself as New England's pick during that workout last week, and it wasn't just because he put the head coach on his backside.
"When we went down there to work him out, he showed up with one purpose and that was for us to pick him," explained Vrabel. "He had one objective and that was to prove to us he was the right player for us."
Campbell did just that.
"This was a very easy pick for us," Vrabel said Thursday.
Vrabel gushed about Campbell's maturity and his on-field attitude when discussing his newest player. He called Campbell a "foundational piece" who could help anchor the offensive line -- and locker room -- for years to come.
"A young 21-year-old that is mature beyond his years. He's a leader, durable, physical, dependable, accountable," Vrabel said of Campbell. "He was a quick study; we spent a lot of time with him and whatever mistakes showed up, he recovered quickly and can fix those mistakes."
While some think Campbell's arms are too short to be a left tackle in the NFL, Vrabel said he'll compete to protect Drake Maye's blind side in New England. (Vrabel doesn't just give out jobs, even to the No. 4 overall pick.)
"Everybody had a play style and a skillset. It's what you do within that skillset, the tricks you learn in this business, and how you do your job," Vrabel said of Campbell's arm measurements. "I think he's learned a lot of those to play on the left side and pass protect."
