The 2025 NFL Draft has no shortage of high-end talent that will be available when the Chicago Bears pick 10th overall in the first round. That includes the offensive line group, where prospects like LSU’s Will Campbell and Missouri’s Armand Membou are both contenders for top-10 landing spots.
However, the 2025 NFL Combine magnified concerns about Campbell’s pro projection. He’s the latest on a long list of college offensive tackles to be forecasted as an interior lineman because of his arm length. What the exact measurement of his arms is remains up for debate; He checked in at 32 5/8 inches at the Combine, but measured 33 inches at LSU’s pro day.
But, at this point, there’s no shaking the perception that Campbell’s arms will prevent him from playing tackle at a high level in the NFL. Fair or unfair, that’s the nature of scouting. Just a few years ago, Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski suffered the same fate. His arms measured a bit shorter than Campbell’s at 32 1/4 inches. Despite a successful college career at tackle, he has exclusively played guard in the NFL after being selected 11th overall by the Tennessee Titans.
And he’s thriving.
Perhaps Campbell will follow Skoronski’s path. It isn’t the worst thing in the world. Guards make a lot of money these days, and while left tackle remains the premier offensive line position, Campbell would be just fine kicking inside.
Assuming, of course, that’s what the NFL thinks.
As the days until the 2025 NFL Draft continue to tick away, some momentum is beginning to build around the Campbell-is-a-tackle narrative.
It’d be great if teams drafted by the ‘trust the tape’ philosophy. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. But all it takes is one team to trust that tape and feel good about Campbell being a left tackle. And if one of those teams is slotted in the top 10, it’ll be a massive win for the LSU star.
Enter the Chicago Bears, who sound like they’re in the camp of teams Dane Brugler was referring to.
When speaking with CHGO’s Adam Hoge on Monday, Bears head coach Ben Johnson dismissed the idea that short arms are a non-starter for offensive tackles. Instead, you guessed it: he forms his opinion about a player, first and foremost, from the film.
It’s comforting to know Johnson is an old-school tape junkie, even when it comes to evaluating talent for the NFL Draft. In Campbell’s case, his film shows a three-year starter who’s been as consistent as a prospect can be in pass protection, even against top competition in the SEC, whose edge rushers are as close to an NFL simulation as a lineman can get in the college ranks.
Still, if the Bears have a similar grade on Membou, who’s a prospect with little to no questions about his physical makeup, there’s no doubt that Campbell’s arm length will suddenly be a more pressing topic of conversation.
The earliest Will Campbell could be selected in the 2025 draft is No. 4 overall by the New England Patriots. If the Patriots pass on him, the New York Jets at No. 7 and the New Orleans Saints at No. 9 remain the biggest threats to the Bears’ chances at selecting him, assuming they’re bold enough to ignore his shortcomings.
