The New England Patriots officially signed first-round pick Caleb Lomu. The terms of the contract were not announced.
The tackle was selected by the Patriots with the 28th overall selection in the 2026 draft. The Patriots made a push to get him, as they traded with the Buffalo Bills in order to do so. Now, the Patriots have him in the fold, as they look to continue to rebuild their offensive line.
Lomu could have an opportunity to make an impact early, with the Patriots needing additional depth at the right tackle position. He was highly regarded by several draft experts heading into the event, and now he will get a chance to show what he can do.
Patriots Have One Rookie Unsigned
This now leaves the Patriots with only one remaining unsigned rookie. That rookie is edge rusher Gabe Jacas. Jacas has not been at OTA’s, but ESPN’s Mike Reiss indicated that his absence was not due to his contract. Reiss also indicated that Patriots fans should not worry about Jacas being absent from these workouts. One has to wonder if a contract will get done soon, and the Patriots can complete their rookie class.
Patriots Continue Youth Movement On Offensive Line
In the meantime, Lomu is officially in the fold. This is great news for multiple reasons. For one, the Patriots now have yet another offensive lineman to protect quarterback Drake Maye. This is important as the offensive line, while improved, struggled at times last year. They allowed 48 sacks, a comparison to 52 in 2024. To say that there was an improvement would be disingenuous. However, there is still building to be done on the offensive line.
Now, Lomu and Will Campbell can help with the development of the line’s future. Campbell is looking to have a bounce-back season after a late-season grade 3 MCL tear against the Cincinnati Bengals. The injury hampered him in the playoffs, as he struggled against competition, particularly against the Seattle Seahawks.
Lomu is coming off a decorated college career that has seen him be a part of stellar offensive lines. In addition, his individual statistics are eye-catching as well. He played over 1,620 snaps in college. This included 1,582 at left tackle and 32 at right tackle. He allowed only two sacks in his collegiate career. This included zero in the 2025 season. He only surrendered 25 total pressures across two seasons, and allowed only eight in 2025.
Overall, there is certainly a lot to like about his game. The Patriots may have gotten a steal in this draft, with the offensive line needing a little bit of a boost. At the very least, they now have him under contract. NFL talent is obviously a little bit tougher in nature than at the college level. However, Lomu will show that he is able to play against some of the toughest defensive linemen in the country.
Lomu could get a similar experience in 2026, as the Patriots play the sixth-hardest schedule in the NFL. It will be fun to see if Lomu will ace the challenge.
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