Patriots rookies turned pre-draft relationship into Super Bowl first

As the New England Patriots took the practice field this past week in preparation for the Super Bowl, Jared Wilson glanced over at fellow rookie Will Campbell.

It was a surreal moment for the two lineman as just a year ago, they were training together for the NFL Draft. 

“I always mentioned to him like when we’re in practice or something, I’m like, ‘Bro, we were in pre-draft together. Now we’re practicing for the Super Bowl’, and we would just sit there and just smile,” Wilson said. “I honestly can’t put it into words how it all work out.”

After both lineman finished their junior seasons in the SEC, Campbell and Wilson prepared together leading up to the draft. Wilson’s first impression of the Louisiana-born Campbell was how slowly he talked.

The relationship then truly took off when both were selected by the Patriots in the 2025 Draft. Campbell went fourth overall as New England searched for a blindside protector of franchise quarterback Drake Maye. Wilson was picked shortly after in the third-round, and it did not take long for the former college center to be inserted into the starting lineup next to Campbell during training camp.

From that point on, the two went on to start 14 games side by side as rookies on the Patriots’ offensive line

“You just grow together,” Campbell said. “When you have two rookies next to each other, learning how to play — especially, both of us, at Georgia, he played next to the same two guards when he was at center for two years, and I played next to the same left guard for my whole college career at LSU. So just getting the field for each other early and just growing on and off the field.”

The duo’s 15th start will come on Sunday in Super Bowl LX. When it does, they will become the first pair of rookies to start the Super Bowl on the same offensive line.

“They’re talented. I think that they’ve worked. I think they’ve tried to get better each and every week,” head coach Mike Vrabel said. “There’s some matchups in this league that are tough. They’ve had some really good plays. They’ve had some plays that they’d like to have back. But they’re out there for the most part all the time, practicing, improving, working together. 

“And we never really looked at it as rookie players on the left side. I don’t really get into that much. I talk about maturity. Maturity is based on experience, not age. They have a lot of experience here this entire year. They both missed a few games, but they’ve been in there the majority of the time.”

Campbell and Wilson are set to be tested against Seattle, as Mike Macdonald’s defense generates pressure at one of the highest rates in the league despite rarely blitzing.

That front will put the duo’s chemistry — built over the past year — to the test. It’s a chemistry they’re confident in and hope to continue building for years to come.

“It’s grown tremendously,” Wilson said. “Like I said before, I think the biggest thing in everything is communication, and if you can keep doing that during the good and the ugly, you’ll be good.

“I love playing next to him,” Campbell added, “I look forward to playing next to him for a while.”