The 2026 NFL draft got underway up front for the New England Patriots.
The war room in Foxborough selected Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu at pick No. 28 overall in the first round on Thursday night. That was the call after moving up in an AFC East trade that sent the rights to No. 31 overall and No. 125 overall to the Buffalo Bills.
Here’s an initial look into why and what’s ahead.
At 21, a two-year starter on the blindside
Lomu, who turned 21 in December, checked into three games during his first fall at Utah. From there, the former four-star recruit out of Arizona’s Highland High School went on to start all 24 of his appearances at left tackle for the Utes.
First-team All-Big 12 honors were collected in 2025. No sacks were, however, with just a pair of quarterback hits let up.
Pro Football Focus charted Lomu for allowing eight total pressures in pass protection as a redshirt sophomore. He was flagged for four penalties over the course of 823 offensive snaps before opting out of the Las Vegas Bowl and declaring with two years of NCAA eligibility remaining.
Athleticism to grow into behind Moses
At 6-foot-6, 313 pounds, Lomu clocked the 40-yard dash in 4.99 seconds during his trip to the NFL Scouting Combine. That time, which included a 10-yard split of 1.74 seconds, ranked ninth among participating offensive linemen in the 2026 class.
Lomu added a vertical of 32 1/2 inches and a 9-foot-5 broad jump while in Indianapolis. Both of those marks placed him in the 90th percentile in the MockDraftable database when it comes to tackle prospects. He carries the requisite length with 33 3/8-inch arms. Yet adding weight and strength will be a focus to keep the pedal down and drive through the running game. Adding versatility will be, too, with a developmental year on deck.
At Gillette Stadium, Lomu arrives as the heir apparent at right tackle, where the 35-year-old Morgan Moses is under contract through 2027 at back-to-back $10.4 million cap charges. A swing role is the clear projection as a rookie. Especially so with Vederian Lowe departing for the San Francisco 49ers in free agency and Thayer Munford Jr. remaining unsigned as May approaches.
Ending the first round’s run on tackles
Seven offensive tackles were projected to go in the first round. All seven did.
After the Cleveland Browns got the run going with Utah’s Spencer Fano at No. 9, Miami’s Francis Mauigoa went to the New York Giants at No. 10, Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor went to the Miami Dolphins at No. 12, Clemson’s Blake Miller went to the Detroit Lions at No. 17, Alabama’s Monroe Freeling went to the Carolina Panthers at No. 19, and then Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor went to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21.
That left another Utes product still waiting. And then a dropoff.
A “30” visit with Lomu had been cancelled, per executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, because the expectation was that he’d be off the board by the time the Patriots reached the clock. Moving up three slots while giving up capital in the fourth round changed the expectation.
New England has now gone bookend in consecutive first rounds. The latest investment there could shore up the future across from Will Campbell, who made 17 starts on the blindside from September into February after checking in at No. 4 out of LSU last spring.
But the need to protect an elusive All-Pro under center was there, both now and down the road. From the AFC wild card up through Super Bowl LX, New England’s playoff run spanned 21 sacks on quarterback Drake Maye. Prior to then, 47 had been tallied in the regular season.
