Where does Will Campbell fit in the Chicago Bears’ draft plans amid arm length debate?

The former LSU Tigers tackle could be a major steal at No. 10 overall.

Will Campbell must’ve been hitting his pilates and band exercises hard since the NFL Combine, and that might make things interesting for the Chicago Bears’ draft plans.

After checking in with an appallingly low 32 5/8-inch arm length at the Combine—a hilariously short measurement for someone billed as an offensive tackle—the LSU tackle’s arms measured a more respectable 33 inches at his Pro Day on Wednesday in Baton Rouge. That’s great news for the man widely considered the best offensive lineman in the upcoming draft. The only question was what position he fits best at—guard or tackle.

Of course, the former LSU tackle has maintained all along that he sees himself playing outside in the NFL regardless of his non-ideal proportions, even calling the debate about his arms “B.S.” as the draft approaches.

But not a few—myself included—believe he’d be far more dominant as a guard, though he should be a respectable NFL tackle as well.

So what does all this mean for the Chicago Bears and any hopes they might have about landing Campbell at No. 10—if they have them?

First off, Campbell’s arm-length issue might not be as pressing as everyone made it out to be for two reasons.

1. The NFL Combine appears to have shorted a bunch of guys on their arm lengths, leading to skepticism about how much stock teams should put into those measurements. Campbell said Wednesday he knew his arms were 33 inches long and specifically did Pro Day measurements to prove it.
2. While Campbell’s arm length might now be at the very lowest range of decent, his wingspan (77 1/8) actually decreased from the Combine. For instance, Rashawn Slater—another tackle with 33-inch arms often compared to Campbell—has three more inches of wingspan than Campbell does. That’s not ideal.

Secondly, there is no guarantee that the LSU product will even make it to No. 10 overall.

While Mizzou’s Armand Membou has picked up steam as the possible OT1 of this draft, it’s still highly likely Campbell comes off the board earlier in the top 10. For instance, Campbell’s been linked almost nonstop to the Patriots with the No. 4 pick, and he may be the best player available there unless Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter slips to fourth overall, which feels unlikely.

But if the Patriots and other teams at the top of the draft pass on him due to his less-than-prototypical length, as they did with Peter Skoronski two years ago, the Bears will have an interesting decision to make.

On one hand, Campbell would almost certainly be the best player on the board if he dropped to No. 10—assuming Ashton Jeanty is gone by then—and could potentially start right away at tackle if Braxton Jones is too hurt to play/the Bears want to move on from him.

That said, the Bears could be taking an interesting risk.

With the offensive line’s interior already rebuilt due to trades for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and the signing of Drew Dalman, the only place Campbell would readily play is left tackle. As such, if the Bears went all-in on him there and it didn’t work, things could get weird. He would certainly help the Bears on the interior, but they’d have to make space for him. So they’d have to be sold on Campbell’s ability to play tackle.

The film says he can play out there, though there are questions about how he’ll handle the most elite NFL edge rushers. But the measurements suggest his ceiling, even with his excellent athletic ability, might be lower there than you’d like.

Will Ryan Poles care if he can get the best offensive lineman in the draft at No. 10, though?

Perhaps not.