🚨 Raiders Star Weighs In: Will Campbell’s Growing Pains Are Actually a Good Sign. DH

When Maxx Crosby talks about offensive linemen, people listen.

The Las Vegas Raiders’ All-Pro edge rusher has built a reputation as one of the most relentless defenders in football—and when he offers praise for someone tasked with blocking players like him, it carries real weight.

That’s exactly what happened when Crosby shared his honest assessment of New England Patriots rookie left tackle Will Campbell.

Speaking on The Rush Podcast, Crosby didn’t sugarcoat the challenges Campbell has faced. Instead, he zoomed out and focused on what actually matters for a young offensive lineman trying to survive—and grow—on football’s biggest stage.

“He’s gonna be a great player in this league, I have no doubt about that,” Crosby said. “He’s got the right mindset, he’s tough as hell, he’s got great athleticism. And you’ve just got to go through it.”

That phrase—go through it—perfectly sums up Campbell’s postseason journey.

Thrown into the fire as a rookie left tackle, Campbell didn’t get a gentle learning curve. In the wild-card round, he drew Khalil Mack, a former Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most technically refined pass rushers of his generation.

A week later, it was Will Anderson Jr., a First-Team All-Pro and arguably the most explosive edge defender in the league today.

Across those first two playoff games, Campbell surrendered three sacks. On paper, it wasn’t pretty. On film, it was exactly what you’d expect from a rookie facing elite competition while learning at full speed.

What made Campbell’s story more impressive was what came next.

In the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos, Campbell squared off with Nik Bonitto—another speed-based edge rusher capable of wrecking game plans. This time, the rookie responded. He allowed zero sacks from his side, holding up in protection and helping pave the way for New England’s Super Bowl berth.

That bounce-back is what Crosby zeroed in on.

“As a rookie, you’re gonna have your ups and downs no matter where you’re drafted,” Crosby said. “But he’s been a starting left tackle, and that team has made it to the Super Bowl with him starting there.”

That context matters.

Campbell hasn’t just been rotating in or protected by scheme—he’s been the blindside protector for a franchise quarterback in the playoffs.

And he’s been doing it while recovering from an MCL injury, something that naturally impacts mobility, balance, and confidence at one of the most physically demanding positions in the sport.

For offensive linemen, experience is currency. Every rep against elite pass rushers teaches lessons that can’t be replicated in practice. Campbell’s early struggles weren’t failures—they were tuition.

The Patriots knew that when they handed him the job.

And now, with Super Bowl LX approaching, Campbell has already crossed one of the most important thresholds for a young lineman: he’s been tested, exposed, adjusted, and responded.

That’s why Crosby’s endorsement resonates.

Great defensive players don’t respect potential—they respect resilience. They respect toughness. They respect linemen who don’t flinch after getting beat.

From Crosby’s perspective, Campbell checks those boxes.

The sacks allowed will fade into the stat sheet. The experience won’t.

And for a rookie left tackle who has already helped guide his team to the Super Bowl, the league may be seeing the rough draft of a long-term cornerstone—not a finished product, but one clearly worth investing in.