Will Campbell honors late LSU teammate Kyren Lacy at 2025 NFL Draft

Will Campbell was dressed in a dapper green suit for his walk across the stage at the 2025 NFL Draft. There was an accessory adorning his outfit that meant more than anything to the former LSU star though.

The 21-year old was drafted by the New England Patriots with the No. 4 overall selection, and when he joined Roger Goodell on stage, he rocked a pin that honored his late teammate Kyren Lacy. The former Tigers wide receiver passed away earlier this month. Once upon a time, he was primed to be a premium selection in the NFL Draft, as well.

“He was gonna get his name called this weekend and that’s why I wanted to wear this [#2] pin.

Even though his name won’t be called, he’s going to walk across that stage.” Will Campbell honored his late teammate, Kyren Lacy, at the NFL Draft 🥹pic.twitter.com/VcO1lA8o9Q

— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) April 25, 2025

“You see right there, I’ve got the #2 pin on my lapel. Kyren, he was a special human being. I feel for his family. They’ve been through a lot lately. He’s got such a great family. He wasn’t only a good football player, but he was such a good teammate. A good son. A good older brother. Just a good dude in general. It’s just terrible, everything that’s happened. I’m sending many prayers to his family,” Campbell told the media, via The Next Round on X.

“He was going to get his name called this weekend, and that’s why I wanted to wear this [#2] pin. Honor him. Even though his name isn’t going to get called, he’s going to walk across that stage. He’s here with us in spirit, and it was just an honor for me to be a part of his journey.”

That’s a heartfelt quote from Campbell. It’s evident Lacy meant a ton to him, and while it was a happy night for the former LSU offensive lineman, he had a heavy heart due to the wide receiver’s absence.

Moreover, Lacy’s death at 24 was ruled a suicide, according to Baton Rouge TV station WBRZ. He was set to appear before a Baton Rouge grand jury regarding a pending negligent homicide investigation into a fatal crash on Dec. 17, 2024, that resulted in the death of 78-year-old former U.S. Marine, Herman Hall.

The tragedy prompted Lacy’s father, Kenny Lacy, to issue a message about mental health to the world on his personal Facebook page. He implored parents to “start talking to your kids at a very early age and make sure they are confident and comfortable confiding in you.”

Moving forward, Will Campbell and many of Kyren Lacy’s former teammates will hope to continue to honor him with everything they do in their football future. The pin was a small gesture, but one that the Lacy family will certainly appreciate.

More on Will Campbell, 2025 NFL Draft

It’s easy to see how the Patriots fell in love with Will Campbell the person. However, his play on the field is just as much of a reason why he was a top four pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was a consensus All-American at LSU in 2024 after putting together a huge season as the Tigers’ left tackle.

Campbell also won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the SEC, given to each conference’s best blocker. On the whole, he was a two-time first team All-SEC selection and was named second team All-SEC as a freshman in 2022.

During his time at LSU, Campbell played all but two snaps at left tackle. The meant he played 2,548 career snaps at the position, although questions rose about whether he’d end up moving to the interior offensive line at the next level.

Campbell’s arms measured at 33 inches at the NFL Scouting Combine, which led some – such as ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. – to wonder if a shift inside would work better for him. He also ran a 4.98-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, which ranked fifth among offensive linemen who participated in the event.

— On3’s Nick Schultz and Alex Byington contributed to this article.