The New England Patriots were busy during the 2026 NFL draft. This included trading the 31st pick to the Buffalo Bills in order to get to the 28th overall selection. The Patriots made the most of their pick, selecting Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu. The patriots were not the only ones excited by Lomu’s skill. Several teams attempted to move up and get him. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler reported this on Monday.
Lomu is the first player in a draft class that addressed both sides of the football. Ultimately, the Bills did not use the 31st overall selection in the first round, as they traded down. However, the Patriots got their guy in Lomu.
Caleb Lomu was a strong pick, especially with several teams attempting to trade up to get him. But I love Jacas’ fit. He is a relentless player with the hand usage, quickness and play demeanor that show as both a pass rusher and run defender. It will be interesting to see his role alongside Dre’Mont Jones and Harold Landry.
There is some truth to that report. The San Francisco 49ers reportedly had interest in Loma. They hosted the offensive lineman for a top-30 visit. The team ended up trading down to the 30th spot, essentially as a result of their main target not being there. The Kansas City Chiefs were also believed to be high on the offensive lineman per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. They were viewed as candidates to do so if he fell past the Patriots.
Patriots Were Able To Get Their Target
Instead, the Patriots were able to get their developmental offensive lineman to fill the depth behind Morgan Moses. Lomu can play multiple areas of the offensive line, which could be helpful if Will Campbell needs a breather as well.
His positional versatility is also something that has stood out for him, and it did during the pre-drop process as well. He could fill in at left tackle if needed behind Campbell. In addition to his duties on the line, he could also serve as a sixth offensive linemen or jumbo tight end.
Offensive Line Major Focus For Patriots
Lomu was one of two offensive linemen selected by the Patriots in the 2026 draft. The other one was Dametrious Crownover from Texas A&M. Crownover measures in at six-foot-seven, 319 pounds. Lomu measures in at six-foot-six, 312 pounds. It was clear that the Patriots came into this draft wanting to address the offensive line. The offensive line played better at times last season, but it still struggled in certain areas
When you look at the statistics, the offensive line showed improvement. They had a 64% pass-block rate, in comparison to 51% from last year. They went from 31st in the league to 14th in the league in that category.
The unit’s run-block win rate went from 67% in 2024 to 72%. This represented a jump from last in the league to ninth in the league.
On top of this, the average time to pressure went from 2.58 seconds in 2024 to 2.87 seconds. That also represented a jump from 27th in the league to eighth.
The Patriots still have progress to make on the line. It is difficult to find offensive line help at times, given the nature of the position. The teams everywhere are looking for offensive lineman. The Patriots were able to get their main target in Lomu, and it sounds like he was the main target for others as well.
Patriots Pulled Off Major Draft Heist Amid League-Wide Interest