NFL Coaches Weigh in on the Controversial Arms of LSU’s Will Campbell

The LSU Tiger Football program should be getting ready to celebrate another Top 5 pick in an NFL Draft. But ever since the NFL Draft Combine, that has become more of a question mark.

Offensive tackle Will Campbell should be a Top 5 draft pick. In most years, he could be in the conversation for the number one overall pick. Consensus All-American, two time All-SEC, and winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, he made a name for himself blocking dominant defensive linemen up and down the SEC. Since the conference is an absolute machine at pumping out NFL talent on the defensive line, having a guy that was dominant at blocking them would be a great addition to any NFL team.

Which is exactly what most NFL reporters and fans thought...until the NFL Combine.

What Happened To Will Campbell At The NFL Draft Combine?

During the Combine, Campbell went through testing and measurements, like all players usually do. During the measurements, it was revealed that Campbell's arms measured at 32 5/8"...which doesn't mean much when you say it out loud, but apparently it's a huge deal to NFL Draft reporters.

Apparently, NFL tackles have to have a wingspan of 34 inches, with 33 inches being the absolute shortest. So Campbell being 32 5/8 inches puts him below the preserved minimum for NFL tackles.

Even though Campbell had his wingspan re-measured at the LSU Pro Day, and was measured at 33 inches on his wingspan, most of the NFL reporters are blowing it off as LSU trying to help Campbell out. But NFL coaches don't seem to be concerned at all.

How Will Arm Length Impact The NFL Draft For Will Campbell?

Two teams that have Top 10 picks in this months draft have both recently commented on Campbell, and his arm controversy.

First, the New England Patriots, who have the 4th overall pick in the draft. Most composite mock drafts have the Patriots taking Campbell with their pick. They have a massive need at left tackle, and Campbell could plug in day-1. Their Head Coach, Mike Vrabel, recently talked about the team's need for an offensive tackle, and Campbell specifically. Vrabel told The Athletic:

“I don’t understand how you can watch him play in the SEC...which is the best conference in college football, against guys that are going to get drafted at that position...so I don’t think you have to project it, you can just actually watch and say there’s the snaps at left tackle, evaluate it, and see what you think.”

With Vrabel being so open about the team's need for a tackle, and his opinion of Campbell's gameplay at LSU, it seems like Campbell is still an option at the 4th overall pick, even with the arm controversy.

But if something crazy happens at pick #4, and Campbell isn't picked by the Pats, he's not likely to fall out of the Top 10 picks. Because the Chicago Bears have pick #10, and have a need for an offensive tackle as well.

Their Head Coach, Ben Johnson, also had some things to say about the Campbell controversy. Speaking with the CHGO podcast, Johnson made his opinion on the arm length debate very clear, saying:

“I love watching the tape without knowing anything. To me, that’s the most important indicator of whether the guy can play football or not. And as you’re watching tape, if concerns arise about getting long-armed on the perimeter because it really shows up more for tackles that you have these long-armed edge rushers sticking out, and if you can’t anchor and it becomes a consistent problem, then yeah, I’ll look at arm length and see if it fact-checks or not. But really, the tape, to me, is more important than the measurables.”

So two coaches, who will have direct influence on where Will Campbell gets drafted, have some strong opinions on this controversy. Which means, at the end of the day, this could be a completely manufactured storyline by NFL media, and has no true impact on the thoughts of these teams.