The New England Patriots are fully invested in Drake Maye. As such, they need to find a way to keep their quarterback out of harm’s way.

With that in mind, they used the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on offensive lineman Will Campbell. While some scouts and analysts had reasonable concerns about his size and how he’d adapt to the physicality of the league, it’s been mostly a smooth transition.

Campbell has honored his status as the top offensive tackle in his class, at least more often than not. More importantly, he also seems to be on the same page with his quarterback.

Maye recently got honest about his relationship with Campbell.

“‘Big Country,’ he’s been awesome. I’m proud of the way he’s kinda handled it. I think we were in similar situations: top pick, leaving college early, and coming up here on our own from the South. It’s been cool for us to share this similar journey and share some of my experiences with him. Will is just coming to work and coming to practice every day. He’s one of our best practice players and it shows up in the games. It’s fun kinda sharing our accents. I think his is a lot stronger than mine, so it’s fun to hear that. I think that’s the best thing about it, just like I said, sharing some similar experiences, and sharing what I learned from last year, and knowing what a long season it was compared to college. It’s also cool being young and both of us kinda living the same kinda life,” Maye said.

#Patriots QB Drake Maye on his close relationship with LT Will Campbell:

“Big Country, he’s been awesome. I’m proud of the way he’s kinda handled it. I think we were in similar situations — top pick, leaving college early, and coming up here on our own from the South. It’s been… pic.twitter.com/nevhYdzNmr

— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) November 18, 2025

That might sound like a minor thing, but it can take a team a long way. Maye has done a great job of embracing a leadership role, and his attention to detail and work ethic have drawn praise from his teammates, even the veterans.

The Patriots are still a work in progress, and that should be a scary thought for the rest of the league. They’ve already secured a winning record this season, and with other young talent also taking big leaps, it shouldn’t be much longer before New England hosts a playoff game.

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