The New England Patriots made nine selections in April's NFL Draft, but the first of them was a landmark selection. The Patriots traded the 31st pick and 125th pick to their AFC East rivals, the Buffalo Bills, for the 28th pick.
It marked the first time since 2012 that New England traded up in the first round. With the pick, the Patriots selected Utah tackle Caleb Lomu.
Lomu started on the left side for the Utes for the last two seasons, allowing only two sacks in 1,595 snaps. In 2025, he didn't concede a single sack, allowing a 2% pressure rate. He had the lowest career pressure rate allowed of any collegiate offensive tackle selected in the first round.
On top of his elite production, Lomu has legitimate NFL size and athleticism. While Will Campbell was criticized for having a small wingspan, he has nearly 33.5-inch arms with an 86/99 Next Gen Stats athleticism grade.
That ranked him 3rd among all tackles in the class, and, combined with his production score, gave him an 81/99 Next Gen Stats overall grade. That ranked him the second-best tackle in the class despite being the sixth taken (Kadyn Proctor will play guard, per the Dolphins).
Caleb Lomu could be a superstar for the Patriots
Given the Ute's incredible production and athleticism, it shouldn't come as a surprise that there's some real hype about his impact on New England.
In fact, Eliot Wolf canceled a top 30 visit with Lomu because he thought the Patriots wouldn't be in range to select him.
What did Caleb Lomu do during the draft process that made the Patriots feel comfortable taking him?
— Ethan Hurwitz (@HurwitzSports) April 24, 2026
Eliot Wolf: "I mean, obviously the testing was excellent. We interviewed him at the Combine. That was great. We actually canceled his 30-visit because we didn't – we had one…
As of the immediate future, it appears Lomu will replace Vederian Lowe as the swing tackle. Down the line, Lomu is projected to be the long-term successor to Morgan Moses at right tackle, though things could change if Will Campbell is unable to return to form.
Another piece of Lomu's game that makes him appealing is his versatility. While he didn't play significant snaps anywhere but left tackle in college, his athleticism lends itself to the ability to play at multiple positions across the line.
Always possible, Zak, as Eliot Wolf did mention Caleb Lomu as a possibility to play multiple spots due to his movement skills. Some wonder if the body type makes that the right fit, but will be interesting to see if that develops.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) April 29, 2026
Free agent signing Alijah Vera-Tucker is a personal favorite of mine, but his injury history is extensive. He missed all of last season with a torn tricep and has played in only 43/85 possible games due to injuries.
Ben Brown is a more than capable fill-in on the interior, but should Vera-Tucker miss extensive time, they may like the idea of getting Lomu snaps regardless of position. They opted for Jared Wilson at guard last season, even though he played center at Georgia.
They'll slide him to his more natural position this season after trading Garrett Bradbury.
If Campbell can return to his regular-season form and eventually improve upon it, and Lomu proves to be the long-term answer at right tackle, the Patriots' bookends are set for the long haul. The interior trio of Vera-Tucker, Wilson, and Mike Onwenu is excellent when healthy.
If the Patriots want to be competitive with Drake Maye, ensuring there isn't a repeat of last season's playoffs will be crucial. A potential superstar in Lomu could ensure something like that never happens again.
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