Will Campbell hasn’t played a full season in the NFL yet, but he already understands what it means to respect your opponent-especially when that opponent is one of the most disruptive defenses in football.
As the Patriots gear up for Sunday’s AFC Championship showdown against the top-seeded Denver Broncos, Campbell isn’t mincing words about what they’re up against.
“He’s a good player,” Campbell said of Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto. “They got a bunch of good players across the front, back end, linebackers.
It’s a good defense. There’s not really any bad things about any team that’s left this late in the season.”
That’s not just rookie humility talking-it’s grounded in reality. Bonitto has been a force all year, finishing with 14 sacks (fifth in the league) and 76 quarterback pressures, which ranked eighth, according to Pro Football Focus.
His 24% pass rush win rate? Second-best in the league.
When Bonitto gets off the line, it’s a problem.
#Patriots LT Will Campbell on #Broncos Edge Rusher Nik Bonitto:
— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) January 21, 2026
"He's a good player. They got a bunch of good players across the front, back end, linebackers. It's a good defense. There's not really any bad things about any team that's left this late in the season."
-@CLNSMedia… pic.twitter.com/ORaNytZxbx
But Denver’s defense isn’t built on one man’s production. It’s a unit loaded with playmakers at every level.
John Franklin-Myers chipped in 7.5 sacks, and Zach Allen added seven more from the interior. D.J.
Jones and Malcolm Roach have anchored the middle of the line with stout run defense, consistently clogging lanes and forcing offenses into second-and-long situations.
Behind that front, linebacker Alex Singleton has been a tackling machine-136 total tackles over 16 games. That kind of production doesn’t just happen; it’s a reflection of instincts, preparation, and a nose for the football.
And then there’s the secondary, headlined by Patrick Surtain II. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year earned second-team All-Pro honors this season, continuing to lock down top receivers with surgical precision. Alongside him, safety Talanoa Hufanga also landed a second-team All-Pro nod, bringing physicality and range to the back end of the defense.
So when Campbell calls this Denver defense the Patriots’ “biggest challenge yet,” he’s not exaggerating. That’s saying something, too-New England just got through the Houston Texans, who led the league in total defense and finished second in scoring defense. The Chargers, another recent opponent, ranked top-five in total defense and top-10 in points allowed.
But Denver brings something different to the table. They’ve held opponents under 20 points in five games this season, and they’re playing this one at home, where the altitude and crowd noise only add to the difficulty. That’s a tall task for any offense, let alone one led by a rookie left tackle.
Still, Campbell isn’t backing down. He knows that games like this-conference championships, on the road, against elite competition-don’t come around often. And for a young lineman tasked with protecting his quarterback from one of the league’s premier edge rushers, it’s a moment to embrace.
“We’ve gotta be on it this week,” Campbell said.
He’s right. Because if the Patriots want to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl, they’ll have to go through one of the most complete defenses in the NFL. And that starts in the trenches-where Campbell will be front and center.