A successful NFL season leads teams to pick late in the first round of the next draft, and for Patriots fans, the hope was their top selection wouldn't be what most consider a boring pick. Unfortunately for them, that is exactly what happened, as left tackle Caleb Lomu was first off the board for New England.
He is expected to be a swing tackle option, with a good chance to be mentored by Morgan Moses and eventually succeed him at right tackle if all things go well. There's a good chance he will be able to accomplish that, as he was considered one of the top tackle prospects of the class for a reason, and looking at his tape, it's clear why.
Even better is seeing how well he fared against some of the top defensive talent this year's class had to offer, particularly the Jets' first of three selections in the first round, pass rusher David Bailey.
The New York team appears to have hit it out of the park with their three first-rounders, as they also picked top tight end Kenyon Sadiq and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.
The biggest concern immediately for the Patriots is Bailey, as one of the widely considered best pass rushers of the class. But with Lomu on the roster, he shouldn't be as big a problem.
Caleb Lomu impressed against one of the top pass-rushing prospects of the 2026 NFL Draft
Minutes after the Patriots announced they were taking Lomu at pick No. 28, fans took to social media about the pick.
While many weren't exactly thrilled, given he plays guard, seeing him dominate Bailey on tape certainly amps up the excitement about what he could do for the Patriots, particularly against some of the top pass-rushing talent the league will have to offer in 2026.
#Patriots rookie OT Caleb Lomu’s pass pro reps against Jets rookie EDGE David Bailey 👀 pic.twitter.com/Mf6XQwn7JX
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) April 24, 2026
If he can bring that kind of performance to the field, the Patriots are already far better than they were last season.
Of course, we'll have to see what happens with the presumed move to right tackle and hopefully, Lomu can be just as productive there as he appears to be on the left side. Worst-case scenario is that Will Campbell, who Eliot Wolf emphasized again is still their starting left tackle, continues to struggle in Year 2; Lomu can take over with ease.
Regardless, the offensive line appears to be much improved already, and the Patriots have only made one pick so far. There are plenty of upgrades left to be made, but at least their first pick looks like a good one so far, especially against their divisional rivals.
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