Is Will Campbell’s job threatened by Caleb Lomu? ESPN analyst dives deep

The New England Patriots have their work cut out for them after the NFL’s schedule release. New England will be under a lot of pressure this fall after losing Super Bowl 60. One Patriots player will have increased expectations this fall after struggling during the postseason.

ESPN’s Ben Solak posed some big questions about second-year players ahead of the 2026 NFL season in a recent article.

Solak pushed back against the idea that Will Campbell’s job is in danger after New England drafted Caleb Lomu in the first round.

“I buy the Patriots’ explanation for drafting Lomu, though. New England’s veteran right tackle, Morgan Moses, is 35 years old and has no guaranteed money in 2027,” Solak wrote. “The Patriots needed a better ascension plan and were encouraged by Lomu’s [pre-draft] workouts, during which he worked out on the right side.”

Campbell struggled during the playoffs after suffering a significant knee injury late in the regular season. He later revealed that he tore a ligament in his knee but battled through the injury during the playoffs.

“Before the injury, Campbell allowed a pressure rate of 11.1% by NFL Next Gen Stats’ model (the league average for a left tackle was 10.1%),” Solak noted. “For a rookie on an island, that’s not too shabby. After the injury, that number leapt to 18.4%.”

Ultimately, Solak believes that Campbell will have a bounce-back season in 2026. It should help having another offseason of preparation under his belt.

“The simplest explanation is that Campbell was an injured rookie playing in the Super Bowl, took his lumps and will be all the better for it,” Solak concluded. “He’ll return this season healthier and with a better understanding of how NFL rushers will try to expose his short arms. As his technique improves, it’ll become easier to forget his size disadvantage.”

Either way, it will be fascinating to see where the Patriots line up Lomu during his rookie season.

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