The New England Patriots have established themselves as one of the league's best teams, and with 12 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, they have the opportunity to further add to their overachieving squad. The position that may make the most sense to select in the first round would, surprisingly, likely be a backup in their first year.
The offensive line has improved drastically compared to last season without a doubt. Mike Onwenu has had an All-Pro level season at left guard, going three straight games to end the season without allowing a single pressure. He's done that in five games this year.
Garrett Bradbury has not allowed a sack or been penalized this year, and Will Campbell has been one of the best rookie offensive linemen. Jared Wilson has had his ups and downs as the second starting rookie on the line, and his backup, the recently extended Ben Brown, has been an excellent spot starter.
The starting four are likely to continue to start on the line next season, but the right tackle position is more up in the air. Morgan Moses, for as good as he's been this year, will turn 35 during the offseason.
If New England wins the Super Bowl, Moses may retire a champion, but regardless of how the season ends, the Patriots need to prepare for life after the veteran.
The Patriots select Utah's Caleb Lomu in mock draft
I've mentioned a multitude of tackle options in the upcoming draft: OSU's Austin Siereveld is a personal favorite, but Northwestern's Caleb Tiernan and Iowa's Gennings Dunker could all be options. Indiana's Carter Smith is another excellent option, but Bleacher Report suggests Utah's Caleb Lomu as an option for New England with the 30th pick in their recent mock draft.
Lomu has played left tackle for the Utes each of the last two seasons, allowing a 2.1% pressure rate this year, an improvement from his still very good 4% rate allowed in 2024. He also didn't allow a sack this season.
Lomu's 6-foot-6, 308-pound frame gives him a similar build to Moses. Fellow Utah tackle Spencer Fano, who plays on the right side, is projected to be a top-15 pick, and while New England won't be in range to grab him, Lomu is a phenomenal consolation prize.
The Ute played sparingly at both tackle spots in 2023, but as mentioned, has spent the last two years on the left side. With Vederian Lowe potentially getting a healthy contract from another team in free agency, Lomu could step in immediately as the swing tackle and fill in for Campbell in the event he goes down with an injury again.
After '26, Lomu would be the second bookend on the line, where he and Campbell would offer Drake Maye protection for the next decade or more.