The New England Patriots beat the New York Jets at home in Week 6 after Drake Maye and company patched together a win against a tough, resilient Jets team at Gillette Stadium. One already significant problem for the team, though, was exacerbated in the game.
Their already depth-challenged, battered, and bruised offensive line took three more injury hits. Fortunately, the team's 2026 first-round pick Caleb Lomu was there to fill in.
He stepped in for right tackle Morgan Moses when he went down with a hamstring injury. Not long after, left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker also suffered an injury. To make matters worse, backup right guard Ben Brown left the game, too.
Any concerns about the Patriots' offensive line depth were justified, as the one that finished the Jets game hardly resembled the one that started the season. Fortunately, Lomu's performance justified his lofty status as a 2026 first-round draft pick.
Caleb Lomu has impressed over the past two games filling in for injured starters
Lomu stepped in for the injured Moses and acquitted himself brilliantly. While left tackle Will Campbell returned quickly from injury, Moses's injury created perhaps an even more challenging assignment. Lomu was tasked with keeping 2026's second-overall draft pick, David Bailey, away from quarterback Drake Maye.
The 6'3", 251-pound Bailey is a hand full for any NFL offensive lineman, never mind another rookie with hardly any playing time at tackle in the NFL. Bailey is already justifying that lofty draft status on the field. He entered the game against the Patriots with 25 total stops and a forced fumble, but his defining stat was five sacks in his first five games.
That projected to 17 for the season, if he stayed on pace and on the field.
On the day, Lomu allowed no sacks, hurries, hits, or pressures by Bailey or anyone else. Neither Drake Maye nor Mike Vrabel could have expected any more from the rookie. Perhaps his college experience against Bailey played a big role in how well he performed.
Fortunately, Lomu had faced Bailey before, during the 2025 college season when Utah played Texas Tech. Lomu also gave Bailey no sacks in that game. He was very complimentary of Bailey in an answer to a Mike Reiss question earlier in the week.
"Very good player. Faced him, it was a great Texas Tech game. He has good power, good speed, really good at using his hands. A smart football player. Just from watching film so far, he’s only improved. It will be a really good matchup to go up against him again.'"
Lomu's first major game against a top opponent on the unfamiliar right side bodes well for his case as a permanent Patriots starter. Lomu is already justifying his status as a first-round pick.
Additionally, his ability to play four positions on the Patriots' offensive line, including left tackle, is money in the bank for Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye, and the Patriots' offense should Campbell be out again.
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