The New England Patriots might be entering desperation territory with their offensive line. Their interior was already suspect behind Mike Onwenu, Jared Wilson, and Alijah Vera-Tucker, and now it's raining.
Andrew Rupcich suffered a season-ending lower-body injury in the preseason tie with the Indianapolis Colts. He was projected to be one of the first guys off the bench/primary insurance to the injury-prone Vera-Tucker.
To add insult to injury, they also lost backup IOL Ben Brown, and it might be a while before he returns.
That's why the Patriots may have no choice but to get creative with Caleb Lomu. Addressing the concerns in the interior, head coach Mike Vrabel didn't shut down the possibility of moving the first-round pick to guard at some point.
Caleb Lomu might play early for the Patriots, but not at tackle
"Yeah, you certainly could. I think we just, what happens is, where do you feel like he can make the most strides, and you don't want to derail the improvement that he's making and some of those things.
And so I'm probably much like you guys and say, "Hey, that it's not that big of a deal to go from tackle to guard." I've got a lot of coaches that probably think differently than what you guys and maybe me think, and that it's a little bigger deal, but I think Caleb's been working hard.
He's been trying to improve, but I think at some point we will need to do that as well, and that's just trying to be fair to the kid and the player as he's developing and learning this game and this league, and then at some point in time probably have to take a look in there," said Vrabel.
Lomu drew rave reviews earlier in training camp. He seemed to be ahead of schedule in his move from the left to the right side of the offensive line, though he was always a long shot to beat Morgan Moses for the starting job.
Like Vrabel said, moving from tackle to guard requires an adjustment, and it might be a big ask for their talented young man. He's looked the part so far, and he hasn't complained when he's been asked to play guard or even as a jumbo tight end in training camp. He just wants to ball, regardless of where he plays.
The Patriots added Joe Michalski and Darrian Dalcourt to the mix after Rucpich's season-ending injury. That said, none of them will move the needle, and they may not even make the final 53-man roster.
Milchaski entered the league in 2025 as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State, joining the Denver Broncos but failing to make an appearance. As for Dalcourt, he went undrafted out of Alabama in 2024 and is already a journeyman, with stops on the Ravens', Commanders', Panthers', and Browns' practice squads.
Making the jump to the pros is never easy for rookie linemen, let alone those who are asked to switch positions. Lomu's willingness to work all over the line should help make the transition smoother if it comes to that, and the fact that Coach Vrabel is giving it some thought speaks volumes about the confidence and respect he's earned in the building.
Great players usually find a way onto the field. And while this definitely wasn't the plan, the Patriots' gamble on this sturdy tackle out of Utah might pay off sooner than expected — just not in the way they expected.
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