The New England Patriots needed to improve a number of positions this offseason. One was the offensive line, and tackle was at the top of the list. They attacked that need by using their first-round pick on a tackle for the second straight draft.
This year, the pick was promising prospect Caleb Lomu from Utah. Since Lomu played left tackle for the Utes, some, like former Patriots center David Andrews, think he will push Will Campbell for that spot.
Andrews thinks the competition at offensive tackle will prove to be a positive for Campbell and the team in general.
.@dandrews61 believes #Patriots rookie OT Caleb Lomu can push LT Will Campbell in a positive way.
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) April 30, 2026
“Hopefully [he’ll] push, drive Will… Competition is the greatest thing ever… If I didn’t have a good training camp, they’d just give the job to Ted [Karras].”
(🎥 @ZoandBertrand) pic.twitter.com/mgfgPV8rf1
It will be up to the players to determine who will play and where on the offensive line in 2026. There are presumed starters at every position. Yet, injury issues and other considerations can change all of that in a hurry.
Patriots’ looming tackle battle could be exactly what this offense needs
Winning teams use the best players available at every position on the field. That means competition for spots and playing time will be fierce, as it should be. Campbell was drafted with the fourth-overall pick in the 2025 draft. He started from Day 1 and acquitted himself well until a knee injury forced him out of the lineup and impacted his play when he returned. He wasn't the same player.
On the right side, starting tackle Morgan Moses will be entering his age-35 season. He's a grizzled veteran and a reliable, solid player. Yet, his playing days are nearing the end, and it's likely that 2026 could be his last season in the NFL. So the Patriots made the best move they could have by trading up to draft Lomu in the first round.
Both head coach Mike Vrabel and de facto GM Eliot Wolf have affirmed that Campbell is the starting left tackle. Thus, it seems apparent that Lomu will immediately step into the swing tackle role and be the first tackle off the bench if injury or poor performance by one of the starters occurs. Injuries are a fact of NFL life and having a talented backup like Lomu is essential if an NFL team is to withstand the rigors of a grueling 17-game season.
The greatest efficacy in drafting Lomu, however, is that he started at left tackle for the Utes and did it very well. In 2025, he allowed zero sacks. For a struggling offensive line that allowed 47 regular-season sacks and another 21 in the postseason (including six in the Super Bowl drubbing by Seattle), he's just what the doctor ordered for the Patriots.
At best, Lomu will push Campbell for the starting left tackle spot, which Andrews suggests is a positive. The best players will play, and if Lomu is the best left tackle, then he'll supplant Campbell.
Conversely, if he's just available as a super-sub ready to step in for either tackle should they get injured, he's a terrific safety valve to have around. It's competition, and as Andrews noted, it's a very good thing to foment.
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