The New England Patriots wanted Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu and were willing to trade up to get him.
The Buffalo Bills traded their No. 28 selection in Thursday’s first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to New England in exchange for picks No. 31 and No. 125 to select Lomu. In the process, the Patriots helped make University of Utah history, as the selections of Lomu and Spencer Fano (No. 9, Cleveland Browns) marked the first time that two Ute players were picked in the first round of the NFL draft.
“Ultimately, with Caleb still on the board, we just felt like giving up the extra pick to make sure that we could acquire him was important,” said Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf.
In Lomu, the Patriots are getting a player who has proven himself over two years as the Utes’ starting left tackle. Named to the All-Big 12 first team after the 2025 season, Lomu allowed only eight pressures and no sacks in his redshirt sophomore season in Salt Lake City.
The 6-foot-6, 313-pound Lomu has exceptional athleticism for his size and excels when getting to display that, like when he is blocking in space. Per NFL.com, Lomu’s combine “production score” was the third-best among offensive tackles and helped him move up some draft boards.
Lomu’s footwork and technique pop when watching tape.
“Big athletes like this are hard to come by, especially later in the first round like this, so don’t want to set him up for any wild comparisons or anything like that, but just really, really happy that we were able to acquire him,” Wolf said.
Entering the draft, New England was confident that Lomu would be gone when it selected and actually canceled the former Ute’s pre-draft visit to its facility (the Patriots visited with Lomu at the NFL draft combine), but when the board fell in a favorable way, Wolf knew he had to make his move.
“There’s still some good players at tackle and guard as well, but we felt like there was a dropoff (after Lomu) and we felt like, again, just this best player available type situation for us at that point,” Wolf said.
What does the future look like for Lomu in his rookie season in Foxborough? Despite an up-and-down rookie season, the Patriots will continue to roll with Will Cambpell at left tackle, meaning any playing time for Lomu would come on the right side of the ball.
With veteran Morgan Moses holding down the right tackle spot, the plan appears to be to have Lomu learn from Moses and possibly take on a bigger role in 2027.
“Caleb has some versatility, so we feel like some of the pro day workouts that he did were on the right side and we were comfortable with that. Again, he’s very athletic, so I don’t think either side will be a problem for him,” Wolf said.
Lomu, surrounded by friends and family at a watch party in Arizona, hugged his wife immediately after receiving the life-changing phone call.
“Just saw my phone ringing. It kind of went blank from there, and then I answered the phone and talked to all the coaches and the owner and all that,” Lomu said.
“I’m trying to remember the whole thing. It kind of went blank, but it was such a surreal feeling, something I’ve been waiting for my entire life, so when it actually happened, it’s a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Lomu has the opportunity to join a Patriots team on the upswing. New England is a season removed from a Super Bowl appearance and has a young, exciting quarterback in Drake Maye.
“What they got going there, especially their offense that I’ll be a part of and just their team, they’re on the rise and it’s amazing,” Lomu said. “Drake Maye is such a talented quarterback. I’m so excited to be able to work with him every day, be able to protect him.
“I’m a protector. I’m an offensive lineman. It’s my job to protect that guy, and I’m going to do everything that I can to protect him, so being able to go to work with him now is going to be amazing.”
One of the first of many people to text Lomu after the selection was Campbell, his future New England teammate, who told him that he couldn’t wait to work with him.
As the picks wore on Thursday night, there was nothing Lomu could do except wait, and when the waiting came to a merciful end, it was euphoria.
“It was definitely a long evening. I mean, just the whole day in general. I always just knew God that had a plan for me wherever I was to go. A lot of emotions going through my body throughout the entire round, but I always knew wherever I ended up is going to be the right place for me in the right situation,” Lomu said.
“And I can tell you that it is going to be, and so a lot of emotions going through — nerves, excitement, all of the above, but once I saw that number pop up on my phone, it was all excitement.”
As he met with New England reporters for the first time, Lomu made sure to thank Kyle Whittingham and Utah for preparing him for the NFL.
“Kyle Whittingham was an amazing coach. I’m very excited for what he’s going to do over at Michigan, but the way that Kyle Whittingham prepares his players, he gets him ready for the NFL, gets him ready for the league, and I think that’s why Utah produces so many players,” Lomu said.
“We got Spencer Fano that got drafted to the Browns, which is amazing, so they produce really good talent. I think that starts with coach Whittingham, how he conducts the University of Utah, how he conducts football and just everything that Utah football’s about. He just prepares you for what’s later to come in life, and then also just life in general outside of football. He just prepares you for every situation. I think that’s why we’re all so prepared for the next level.”
What did NFL analysts think of the pick?
CBS Sports’ Mike Renner: “Grade: A+. To get a tackle with Lomu’s tape in pass protection at 28 overall is nothing short of a steal. He falls here because he needs to get stronger, more consistent, and play with more edge, but he goes to a great spot to develop himself in all three areas. He has special feet and hand usage on tape to be their future starting tackle.”
ESPN’s Matt Miller: “Watching Will Campbell struggle in Super Bowl LX and realizing Morgan Moses is 35 years old, it felt as if offensive tackle was a very important position for the Patriots in Round 1. Lomu’s experience is exclusively on the left side, and he didn’t give up a sack last season, but there’s an opportunity to try him on the right side if he can add strength in his lower body. As a run blocker, he’s a work in progress, but as a pass protector, he’s incredibly clean. A redshirt season might be in his future, but he could be the team’s long-term play at right tackle.”
Games are won up front and the Patriots made a solid move to give up a fourth-round pick (125) to move from No. 31 to 28 to ensure they landed the last first-round-caliber tackle before a notable drop-off at the position.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss: “Lomu, 21, probably will become the immediate swing tackle behind Will Campbell (left) and Morgan Moses (right). He ultimately could be the heir apparent for the 35-year-old Moses, who enters his 13th NFL season, while also providing insurance should Campbell’s development get derailed. Moving inside to guard also is a possibility, with Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf noting the 6-foot-6, 313-pound Lomu’s athletic physical traits.”
Yahoo Sports’ Charles McDonald: “Grade: A. This pick can be a two-for-one upgrade for the Patriots. Lomu can slide in as a legit long-term left tackle prospect and allow Will Campbell to play elsewhere along the offensive line if that’s what they choose to do. The Patriots desperately needed to upgrade their frontline play after getting sledgehammered by the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and this pick should help them get better up front.”
The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner: “Grade: A- Really good value here. I had Lomu graded about even with Miller and maybe a tick higher than Iheanachor, as Lomu should be ready to start at right tackle immediately opposite Will Campbell. This gives the Patriots two very athletic tackles who are plus run blockers.
Lomu isn’t a flashy player, but he gets the job done. He’s very versatile, and he could play right or left tackle, and maybe even guard. The 49ers (who traded down from 27 to 30) also might’ve been looking to select an offensive tackle, so I don’t hate the trade-up. Nice pick.”
