Will Campbell and Craig Woodson Named Most Impressive Rookies By Patriots Staff
The New England Patriots went into the 2025 NFL Draft with the intention of re-shaping a lot of the roster. From massive changes to the offense to key additions on defense and special teams, the Patriots were busy during the draft.
During the Patriots' rookie minicamp, the rookies got a chance to see the practice fields for the first time in a Patriots uniform. According to Phil Perry, during a segment on the Patriots Talk Podcast, two rookies stood out to Patriots staff members: offensive tackle Will Campbell and safety Craig Woodson.
Advertisement
"Just reaching out to some people with the team after that finished up [rookie minicamp], the two names I got in terms of most-impressive players at Patriots rookie minicamp; Will Campbell, which you would expect, and Craig Woodson, fourth-round pick out of [California]. They love his football IQ, they love his movement skills."
As Perry mentions, most expected Campbell to be the center of attention during the Patriots' rookie minicamp. But Campbell wasn't alone, as Woodson also stood out to the Patriots staff.
New England Patriots offensive tackle Will Campbell (66) speaks to the media after rookie camp at Gillette Stadium.Eric Canha-Imagn Images
The Patriots took the California safety in the fourth round at pick 106. Woodson is projected to be a backup safety, but he has experience in the nickel in college as well.
Advertisement
He's coming off a solid year where he had 70 tackles, nine pass breakups, and two interceptions. Woodson would normally be another day-three pick, but after an impressive showing in rookie minicamp, there might be more there.
On the Patriots' depth chart on Ourlads.com, Woodson is listed as the second nickel-back behind Marcus Jones. If he were listed at safety, he'd be behind Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers.
While all three players ahead of Woodson have been solid for New England, Woodson could make a run for a starting job during OTAs and training camp. Defensive back depth is always a good thing to have, and Woodson, at worst, will be solid depth at three spots for the Patriots.
Related: Patriots Considered Draft Night Trades From Bears and Texans
Related: Patriots Linked to Pair of Free-Agent Pro Bowl Edge Rushers
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Drake Maye film review: What the Patriots QB can do to improve in Year 2
Drake Maye stepped into a difficult situation last season and the No. 3 pick of the 2024 draft elevated an anemic Patriots offense. New England had one of the worst offensive lines and receiving corps in the league, so the rookie quarterback finding success in that environment was a minor miracle. This season brings a reset for Maye, with the Patriots hiring a new play caller with a productive track record (as an offensive coordinator, not head coach) in Josh McDaniels and upgrading the talent around their QB through the draft. After watching the film from Maye's rookie season, here are five questions he and the Patriots have to answer to take the next step. Advertisement In most of McDaniels' career as a play caller, the Patriots didn't throw the ball downfield a ton but focused on quick to intermediate passing. Tom Brady masterfully executed McDaniels' offense, frustrating defenses as New England dinked-and-dunked the ball downfield and hit the occasional shot when the defense grew impatient. However, McDaniels has shown the ability to adapt his philosophy to suit the talent on his roster. For example, when the Patriots acquired Randy Moss in 2007, Brady had the highest average air yards per attempt (AY/A) of his career (9.42). The Patriots were calling deep option routes for Moss that they didn't have in the playbook before. As the Raiders' head coach, after McDaniels and company acquired All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, quarterback Derek Carr had the highest AY/A (9.2) of his career. I imagine McDaniels will want to call a more vertical offense for Maye to take advantage of his arm talent, but to do that, someone has to step up as a consistent deep threat. That's why they drafted receiver Kyle Williams in the third round. He'll have to quickly learn McDaniels' offense, which has been notoriously difficult for young receivers. Diagram from the Patriots' 2016 playbook McDaniels also catered to other quarterbacks, including Cam Newton, and ran a creative option offense that was hampered by Newton's injuries at that late point in his career. With Maye's athleticism and the lack of proven weapons, I wouldn't be surprised if McDaniels installed a small option package for him. McDaniels is a sharp offensive coordinator who will create one of the more interesting schemes around his uniquely talented quarterback. The scheme won't matter unless Maye can learn it. Though McDaniel will tweak his scheme, it will likely remain complicated, which contrasts with the league-wide trend of making things as simple as possible for quarterbacks. To be as adaptable and multi-layered as McDaniels wants, the offense must be complicated. An onus is on the quarterback to handle the verbiage, pre-snap adjustments and option routes. It's not easy on quarterbacks, which is why coaches from this system prefer players with experience in it. Advertisement McDaniels' pre-snap operation is as intricate as any other in the league. For example, if the quarterback says 'molasses,' it means he has two play calls but will use a 'dummy' count to get the defense to show its hand to see if the quarterback has to 'kill' the first call to get into the second call. It's a useful tool but one of many that Maye will have to learn and master. Maye had trouble executing and threw four interceptions in an organized team activity (OTA) practice — not that it's anything to panic about, but it shows that his head is understandably overloaded a bit at this point. Maye's mobility was a difference-maker for an offense that couldn't block last season, but there were times when he could have avoided pressure or sacks by throwing with a tick more anticipation. 2:00 remaining in the fourth quarter, second-and-6 For example, on this play against the Rams, the defense rotated into Cover 1 (man-to-man with one deep safety and a robber). Maye had his first read open on a dig route but waited until after his receiver's break to start his throwing motion. The protection broke down quickly but Maye had an opportunity to get the throw off if he had released the ball a half-second earlier. Of course, this could be more of a trust issue against man coverage between Maye and his receiver. Maye did a better job of throwing with anticipation later in the season, particularly against zone coverage. 2:22 remaining in the second quarter, second-and-15 Here, the Colts rotated into a Cover 3 zone (three deep, four underneath). Maye read the coverage and looked off the weakside, underneath defender to open space for his in-breaker to the right. Before his receiver cleared the underarm defender and ran into the first window, Maye had already let go of the ball. The window would have closed if Maye had waited. Without anticipation, this ball would not have been completed, even with the RPMs Maye has on his bullet passes. The Patriots faced the second-highest rate of Cover 1 blitzes in the league because teams didn't respect their receivers and wanted to keep Maye bottled up in the pocket with an extra rusher. 4:30 remaining in the third quarter, second-and-7 The Patriots had a play-action concept with a dig route on this play against the Bills. The defense crowded the box and played man coverage. A blitzer got past the line of scrimmage as Maye was executing the play fake. Running back Antonio Gibson should have aborted the fake and blocked the blitzer, but he saw it too late and seemed to freeze. Pass protection was one of the reasons the Patriots drafted running back TreVeyon Henderson in the second round this year. Maye had to escape to the right, away from the break of the dig. Still, Maye was able to make a miraculous pass for the first down, throwing against the grain. Throws like this are why Maye was drafted so high, but you don't want to have to ask him to make plays like this against the blitz too often. McDaniels' system will give him more answers schematically but the Patriots must be able to block, and receivers must be able to beat man coverage more consistently. Advertisement Last season, Henry was targeted on 23.4 percent of the Patriots' third-down passes, ranking fourth among tight ends, right below Travis Kelce. Hunter is a fine player and developed a strong rapport with Maye last season, but he isn't nearly good enough to warrant that sort of usage. 4:25 remaining in the second quarter, second-and-7 Here, Henry had an out route against man coverage. Henry was bumped and didn't create a lot of separation but Maye knew he could throw the tight end open and trusted him to make the play. Maye threw a perfectly placed pass over the defender and Henry hauled it in. It was clear Maye's comfort level with Henry far exceeded his comfort level with any other receiver. In Maye's last full game of the season, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter did a good job of taking Henry away, throwing Maye and Patriots offense out of whack. 6:35 remaining in the third quarter, third-and-2 On this play, the Chargers initially gave the Patriots a man coverage look with no one on top of Henry to bait Maye to look in his direction. After the snap, the defense dropped into a Cover 2 zone and linebacker Troy Dye (No. 43) sprinted from the other side of the formation to get underneath Henry. With Henry bracketed with an underneath defender and a safety over the top, Maye had to look elsewhere. However, the spacing on the play was poor, with three receivers bunched too closely. No one was open and the rush scheme created a free rusher who eventually chased Maye down. Who else can the Patriots lean on next season on third downs? Presumably, it'll be free-agent addition Stefon Diggs, but the data isn't kind to receivers coming off of an ACL injury. Diggs is also 31 and was already seen as a player no longer in his prime. And a video of Diggs appearing to hand out an unknown pink substance to a group of women at a party on a boat has become a potential issue, so we'll see whether that leads to a suspension. Advertisement If Diggs isn't the playmaker the Patriots thought they were getting and Williams needs some time to develop, Kendrick Bourne might be a go-to player for Maye in high-leverage situations. Bourne will be a year removed from an ACL injury that kept him out for most of last season and he's always been a sharp route runner with reliable hands. Maye's play last season should have Patriots fans optimistic and the young pieces they added in the draft are exciting, but this is a very young offense that has to learn a difficult offensive system. It could take some time to get going this season but after a year marred by dysfunction, the makings of a bright future appear to be in place for New England.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Deion Sanders Goes Off on Giants' Brian Daboll Over Shedeur Sanders Rumor
Deion Sanders Goes Off on Giants' Brian Daboll Over Shedeur Sanders Rumor originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Leading up to the 2025 NFL draft, multiple reports emerged about former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and his attitude toward certain NFL teams. Advertisement After the draft, several more concerning reports came to light about Sanders during the pre-draft process, but one stood out above all the others. On Day 2 of the draft before the Cleveland Browns picked Sanders with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round The Ringer's Todd McShay revealed the 23-year-old signal-caller had a troubling run-in with New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll that presumably led to the team turning its attention toward Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, who they drafted 25th overall. 'Shedeur didn't have a great interview with Brian Daboll in a private visit,' McShay stated. 'An install package came in, preparation wasn't there for it, he got called out on it, he didn't like that. Brian didn't appreciate him not liking it.' FS1's Colin Cowherd provided a little more context on the incident the day after the draft wrapped up. Advertisement 'Another moment — teams will install mistakes intentionally planted in the install, and they want you to catch it,' Cowherd said. 'Shedeur didn't, and [the Giants] called him out, and once again, it didn't sit well. It's like bro, there's not that many teams needing quarterbacks.' Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders with son and quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America J. Rebilas-Imagn Images For the first time since the reports emerged, Sanders' father and former head coach at Jackson State and Colorado, Deion Sanders, addressed the rumors on Asante Samuel's 'Say What Needs To Be Said' podcast, putting Giants head coach Brian Daboll on blast. 'My kids…you aren't going to catch them in no foolery,' Deion said. 'So when you sit up there and say something like he went in a meeting unprepared, like dude, Shedeur Sanders, who's had six different coordinators, who has still functioned and leveled up every time we brought somebody new in, and you're going to tell me he had on headphones? Advertisement 'Anybody who knows my son understands he's a professional. Like he's going to go into a meeting with headphones on? Come on, man.' While many analysts have confirmed what both McShay and Cowherd reported—four-time Pro Bowl QB Boomer Esiason reported a few weeks ago that multiple teams didn't even have Sanders on their draft board because of incidents like what reportedly happened with the Giants—other have questioned if the validity of them. Related: Shedeur Sanders' Browns Roster Spot in Jeopardy, Says ESPN Analyst Related: Shedeur Sanders Sounds Off on Browns QB Competition Amid Rumors He Could be Cut This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Miami Herald
5 hours ago
- Miami Herald
With Dolphins tight end Smith's future in limbo, agent Drew Rosenhaus addresses the matter
Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith wants a new contract and has been the subject of trade talks with Pittsburgh. While agent Drew Rosenhaus did not specifically address those issues in his weekly TV segment late Sunday night, he made clear that Smith wants to remain a Dolphin. 'Here's what I will say on behalf of my client: Jonnu would definitely like to stay in Miami,' Rosenhaus said on WSVN-7. 'That's his first choice. This is where he lives in the off-season. He had a record-breaking season last year. 'It was the best season ever for a Miami Dolphin tight end... He broke the team record for receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns for a tight end and was the team's single Pro Bowl player. He's an incredibly valuable part of this team... He went to college at FIU. His dream team is the Dolphins. 'Hopefully, everything works out where he can stay in Miami.' The Dolphins spoke to the Steelers after Smith conveyed that he wants a new contract, replacing the one that's due to pay him $4.8 million this season in the final year of a two-year deal. Smith, 29, caught 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns last season, his first with the Dolphins. Miami has been seeking a trade partner instead of agreeing to Smith's request for a new contract, ESPN reported. If the Dolphins trade Smith and do not get a tight end in return, their tight end room would feature only journeyman Pharoah Brown, Julian Hill, Tanner Conner and undrafted rookie Jalin Conyers. Veteran free agent tight ends still available include, among others, Jordan Akins (40 catches for 390 yards for Cleveland last season) and Hayden Hurst (8 for 73 for the Chargers). Here's a list of the limited number of free agents left at the position. The Athletic reported that the Raiders are open to trading tight end Michael Mayer, whose playing time diminished last year after Las Vegas drafted Brock Bowers, who had the best season for a rookie tight end in NFL history. 'I think Mike's been fantastic since I've been here; we didn't make any decisions on anything until you see him here, and Mike's been fantastic since day one of the offseason program,' Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said Thursday. If the Dolphins trade Smith for a future draft pick, his Dolphins 2025 cap hit would drop from $4.6 million to $550,000. While Smith ideally would like to remain in Miami, cornerback Jalen Ramsey wants out, with a trade expected in the coming weeks. If Ramsey traded for a future draft pick, his 2025 Dolphins cap hit would drop from $16.7 million to $6.7 million. A trade before June 2 would have resulted in a $25 million Dolphins cap hit for 2025. Miami would have $28 million in cap space if it trades both Ramsey and Smith for future draft picks.
