Patriots Rookie Immediately Faced With Nightmarish Challenge

The New England Patriots had probably the worst offensive line in football last season, and they especially needed to address the left tackle position.

Well, they did just that in the NFL Draft, selecting LSU Tigers star Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick. Campbell was widely viewed as the best offensive lineman in the draft, and with the Patriots also signing Morgan Moses in free agency, they should have a solid situation at the tackle position heading into 2025.

However, that doesn't mean things will be easy, and Campbell will get tested right off the bat when he faces superstar defensive end Maxx Crosby during New England's Week 1 meeting against the Las Vegas Raiders, which Sara Marshall of Musket Fire did a great job pointing out.

That is definitely one of the most nightmarish matchups Campbell could have asked for to begin his NFL career, but it also represents a great barometer to see where the rookie is right off the bat.

Crosby is one of the best pass rushers in the league and has made four straight Pro Bowl appearances. Injuries limited him to 12 game last season, and during that time, he managed 45 tackles and 7.5 sacks. In the year prior, he racked up 90 tackles, 14.5 sacks and a hefty 31 quarterback hits.

The Raiders' defensive front is a challenge in general, as Las Vegas also has Christian Wilkins and Malcolm Koonce in the trenches. Campbell and Co. will have to deal with all of that in the season opener, so this will certainly comprise a baptism by fire for the first-year tackle.

On the bright side, the Raiders are not a difficult opponent as a whole, and the Pats' schedule features some very winnable games right from the jump.

We'll see if Campbell can impress everyone as soon as his career begins.