Patriots' Drake Maye opens up about Will Campbell amid Caleb Lomu chatter

New England Patriots left tackle Will Campbell experienced a rocky rookie season before he endured a nightmare outing in his club's 29-13 Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks this past February. 

The Patriots then raised eyebrows when they made offensive tackle Caleb Lomu the 28th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. Fair or not, the perception exists that New England may view Lomu as an eventual replacement for Campbell.

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Patriots star quarterback Drake Maye made it clear that he believes the best from Campbell is yet to come. 

Will Campbell has "extra motivation" to succeed after Super Bowl, Patriots' drafting of Caleb Lomu

"He’s working his butt off," Maye said about Campbell, per Mark Daniels of MassLive. "I think he’s got a little bit of extra motivation for himself to prove to us and prove to himself he can be one of the best players in this league at his position."

Campbell reportedly surrendered 14 pressures, the most allowed by an offensive lineman in any game last season, in Super Bowl LX. Meanwhile, Seattle sacked Maye six times and forced him into committing three turnovers (one fumble, two interceptions).

A report from earlier in May indicated that the Patriots were preparing for Lomu to play right tackle as a rookie. However, New England head coach Mike Vrabel said on Wednesday that "the best five" linemen will play when the Patriots open the 2026 season with a matchup at the Seahawks on Sept. 9. Such a line could lead one to believe that Campbell's spot in the starting lineup could be in jeopardy. 

Drake Maye knows a little bit about how Will Campbell feels

Before Maye became an MVP finalist as a second-year pro, he went 3-9 across 12 starts during his debut pro season. Thus, Maye knows what it's like to get beaten up as a rookie at the highest level. 

"Will has got a great mindset," Maye added about Campbell. "I think he kind of understands the business and what this league is about. He kind of got a similar experience to me. Obviously, the seasons that we had were different between mine and his first year, but he got the full length of the season, you know, the ups and downs of it. I think he’s got a great attitude."

Time will tell if that attitude will help Campbell hold onto his job through the summer.