Commanders DE gives honest thoughts on Patriots rookie Will Campbell

USA Today

14 hours ago

Washington Commanders defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. left feeling impressed by New England Patriots rookie offensive tackle Will Campbell after competing against him at Wednesday's joint practice.
Wise, a former Super Bowl champion and Patriots team captain, signed a one-year deal with the Commanders in free agency after his contract with New England expired. He returned to Foxborough with his new teammates and competed against the new-look Patriots team.
Campbell and Wise drew a stalemate in one-on-ones, and the rookie held his own during the competitive 11-on-11 team period.
'Really good at using his hands," Wise said, as transcribed by Boston.com's Conor Ryan. "I would say he does a good job of effort. He told me on the field that he wants to get better and learn, and everything he does, he takes it as a lesson. So kudos to him. ...Very strong guy at the point of attack. I met him in the run game a little bit, we kind of stalemated, ball went the other way, but great player. I think he has a very high ceiling.'
There has been some concern with Campbell's arm length, but the veteran shrugged it off when breaking down what he saw from the rookie first-round draft pick.
'Humbly speaking, nobody has my length,' Wise said. 'But he has really good hands. … I've faced tackles who have short arms before, long arms. It's not about the size of the tackle, but the heart. So he has that.'
Wise has faced some of the toughest offensive tackles in the game on the biggest stages. If anyone is clued in to what it takes to succeed at the next level, it would be the former longtime Patriots defender.
Campbell, who is the projected starting tackle for the Patriots, won't have to wait long to get tested with the Las Vegas Raiders and two-time All-Pro pass rusher Maxx Crosby coming to town for the regular season opener.
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