2023 Prototypical Patriots: Jack Campbell could be an ideal linebacker fit
Perry: If Patriots want a LB in 2023 draft, Jack Campbell fits the mold originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Patriots said they were open to pivoting. And there was evidence that pivoting was exactly what they were trying to do.
Under Bill Belichick, New England has long favored behemoth off-the-ball linebackers. But based on changes made in the college game, the crop of linebackers made available to them and the rest of the NFL has been smaller. Significantly.
Like it or not, gotta adjust. Right?
That's what Matt Groh, Patriots director of player personnel, explained to reporters last year. And the team was already well on its way by the spring. They'd drafted undersized-but-athletic Cam McGrone the year prior. They'd signed 230-ish-pound linebacker Mack Wilson.
Smaller. Faster. More modern.
And yet. In their heart of hearts, they still like size at this position. That's what last season reminded us.
Perry's Prototypical Patriots: Quarterbacks | Offensive linemen | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Running backs | Cornerbacks | Safeties
Their 245-pound middle linebacker and captain, Ja'Whaun Bentley, played over 900 defensive snaps last season. Next up as their most-frequently-used linebacker? Jahlani Tavai, who weighs 246 pounds and signed a mid-season extension to put him right back in the mix as a regular in 2023.
Meanwhile, McGrone was cut at the end of training camp and later signed by the Colts off the Patriots' practice squad before ever seeing the field for New England. Wilson played just 235 snaps, less than half Tavai's total.
They don't make 'em the way they used to. But size still matters off the line of scrimmage for the Patriots. Even Raekwon McMillan, who looked poised to have a key defensive role early in the season before breaking his thumb, would be a bigger linebacker (240 pounds) in a modern draft.
For this exercise, then, that's where we'll start. We'll be looking for players 240 pounds or heavier. And if they don't quite get there, they'd better be big hitters (like Elandon Roberts, a 235-pound 'backer who was a sixth-round pick in 2016), and they can't be below 230 pounds.
Let's get to it...
Jack Campbell, Iowa (6-foot-5, 249 pounds)
2023 NFL Draft Highlights: Jack Campbell - LB, Iowa
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Old school. One of the few. Great size. Aggressive. The kind of player Belichick would feel comfortable asking to take on guards climbing to the second level. He can play in tight spaces with elite change-of-direction ability (6.74 three-cone drill), and he has the brains to be able to organize the front-seven.
He was not only the Butkus Award winner as the nation's top linebacker; he also won the Campbell Trophy (also known as the academic Heisman). And he played his college ball for Belichick pal Kirk Ferentz. He's the prototype. Maybe we should just cut the list off here...
Noah Sewell, Oregon (6-foot-1, 246 pounds)
There's only one more off-the-ball linebacker who meets the weight thresholds we're looking for here. Sewell isn't the longest guy in the world at this position (about 31.5-inch arms), but he was a powerful presence for the Ducks, taking on blocks and meeting ball-carriers with gusto. He didn't miss a game in three years and he'll have no problem fitting in in New England where they demand toughness from this position.
Will he be a factor in coverage? Nope. Probably not. And that's OK in Foxboro, where they ask box safeties to handle those types of responsibilities for the most part. Sewell is a run-first player with good size and pop in his hands, and that may be enough to get him drafted by Belichick on Day 3.
Drew Sanders, Arkansas (6-foot-4, 235 pounds)
2023 NFL Draft Highlights: Drew Sanders - LB, Arkansas
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And... we're already into exception territory. On paper, Sanders has a lot going for him that would make him a fit in New England. He was a productive player in the SEC. He can play both off the line and off the edge. He's a tremendous athlete who could be deployed in a variety of roles from game to game or snap to snap. That has real value in the "more you can do" culture in Foxboro.
But with Sanders at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds -- a longer more angular athlete than someone like the power-puncher Elandon Roberts -- would Belichick feel comfortable playing him anywhere on early downs?
Trenton Simpson, Clemson (6-foot-2, 235 pounds)
2023 NFL Draft Highlights: Trenton Simpson - LB, Clemson
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Simpson is an intriguing player because he brings a little bit of everything to the table in terms of skill set. He's explosive as all get out (4.43-second 40 with a 1.48-second 10-yard split and a 40.5-inch vertical), and he can change direction adequately (indicated by his 7.07-second three-cone time). But he has an affinity for contact and could get downhill with serious force generated by his lower-body twitch.
If the Patriots want a physical player with great athleticism -- even if he's a tad undersized -- they may have to turn in a card with Simpson's name some time in the second round.
Isaiah Moore, NC State (6-foot-2, 233 pounds)
Another downhill 230-ish pounder linebacker, Moore had the advantage of playing in front of the Patriots at the Shrine Bowl for a week out in Las Vegas. Would be hard to imagine that Belichick and his staff didn't enjoy their time with the three-time captain.
He's not as athletic as Simpson, which is why he should be available on Day 3, but he's the definition of hard-nosed and will be a football-character selection for a team that values that kind of thing. The Patriots often value that kind of thing, which is why it should come as no surprise if Moore ends up in Foxboro with immediate kicking-game duties and the potential for more defensively.
Ventrell Miller, Florida (6-feet, 232 pounds)
If there is one player who best embodies the Elandon Roberts idea in this year's draft class, it might be Miller. Rough and tumble. Fearless. Attacks the line of scrimmage with abandon. While he's on the shorter side, he has good arm length for the position (32.5 inches) which will help him handle blockers and shed at the next level.
He also has the intangibles the Patriots like. He was a captain and took home the inaugural Danny Wuerffel Man of the Year award in Gainesville, which honors the player who "embodies leadership." A four-year starter, he played through a foot injury in 2022, and feels like the kind of "whatever it takes" kind of performer Belichick would appreciate.
Bumper Pool, Arkansas, 6-foot-2, 235 pounds
Yes, that's his legal name. No, it was not his birth name. He legally changed it at 16, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic. No-doubter as a First-Team All-Draft Name guy. But he belongs here because he actually plays to his name.
He's a running-game 'backer who likes to jostle within a few yards of the line of scrimmage and impose his will when possible. He was a Second-Team All-SEC honoree in each of the last three seasons, racking up a whopping 318 tackles in that span. A hip injury limited him at the end of last season and during the pre-draft process, but if he's medically cleared, he's the type of undrafted player with excellent collegiate experience -- not to mention the right kind of play demeanor -- who could carve out a role for himself in training camp.
