The New England Patriots got aggressive in Round 1 of the NFL Draft Thursday night, trading up three spots to draft offensive tackle Caleb Lomu
.It was a surprise to some in the building that Lomu remained available late in the first round, especially after six offensive tackles were taken in the first 21 picks. Getting the best player available remaining at a position of need, the Patriots now add much needed tackle depth and a long-term future starter.
Let’s take a look at the grades, both from
Pats Pulpit and the rest of the country.
Pats Pulpit
Bernd Buchmasser: B
Pat Lane: C+
Matt St. Jean: C+
Andrew Guindon: B-
For a more detailed breakdown of our grades please take a look at this story. This is also where you will find the following grades handed out by some members of the community:
Lomu does not project to have an immediate starting role his rookie season, which left the Patriots to remain with the fourth-highest odds to win the AFC next season of the Fanduel Sportsbook.
But even without their first-round pick expected to heavily contribute next season, fans were behind New England’s selection — and higher on the pick compared to the Pats Pulpit staff. 49% of participants gave the Patriots an A for the draft pick, while 39% graded it a B. Those grades aligned more with the national media, who largely expected Lomu to come off the board prior to pick No. 28.
National media
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.
Charles McDonald (Yahoo! Sports): 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.
Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman (The Athletic): 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.
New England had to address the offensive line after a poor showing in the Super Bowl. Lomu needs to get stronger and is still growing as a run blocker. His footwork in pass protection is definitely good enough to start in the league. And if Will Campbell continues to struggle outside, he could move to guard and allow Lomu to take a shot on the blind side.
Mark Schofield (SB Nation): B+
Another trade between division rivals! What is happening!
The Buffalo Bills trade out of No. 29 and the New England Patriots come up from No. 31 to take Caleb Lomu, one of the intriguing offensive tackle prospects in this class. Lomu is very athletic and uses his feet well in pass protection, even in Utah’s offense which tasked the tackles with lots of quick sets and downhill blocks even in pass protection.
The plan is probably for Lomu to sit for a year behind Morgan Moses and develop, and take over at RT across from last year’s No. 4 pick Will Campbell next year. Intriguing pick for sure.
The Patriots’ offensive line was exposed in the Super Bowl, so it’s not a big surprise that they looked to bolster that group here. The Pats sent the Bills a fourth-rounder (125th overall) to move up three spots and grab a high-upside offensive lineman in Lomu. This pick immediately raises the question of whether last year’s first-rounder, Will Campbell, will be making a move from the left tackle spot to guard. But at least for now, early indications are that Lomu, who played on the blind side in college, could get early reps on the right side. Wherever he ends up, Lomu might need to get stronger to sustain blocks better in the run game, but he’s a nimble-footed athlete who will help New England keep Drake Maye upright—and nothing is more important for this team.
Matt Verderame (Sports Illustrated): B
Lomu started 24 games over the past two years with the Utes, as their star left tackle after redshirting in 2023. He’s a mountain at 6′ 6″ and 313 pounds but is athletic enough to be used as a blocker in space. Still only 21 and relatively inexperienced compared to some other tackles who have three years under their belts, Lomu would be best-served to come along slowly as a rookie.
How he fits with the Patriots: After taking left tackle Jack Campbell in the first round last year, the Patriots went back to the well and selected Lomu to man the right side. Drake Maye now has ample protection coming off a second-team All-Pro campaign, despite being sacked 47 times. Only Cam Ward, Geno Smith and Justin Herbert were sacked more in 2025.
Ben Linsey (Pro Football Focus): Good
New England jumped a few spots to get the last tackle before a noticeable tier break. Lomu was a two-year starter at left tackle for Utah, where he earned PFF pass-blocking grades above 75.0 in each season. He provides a potential long-term answer at the position, with starting right tackle Morgan Moses nearing the end of his career at 35 years old.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (USA Today): B-
For the second year in a row, the Patriots prioritized protection for Drake Maye in the first round. After things got dicey for Will Campbell down the stretch, New England has to be cognizant with how it deploys Lomu, who’s a promising pass protector but has plenty of work to do on the finer points of his position. He’s a natural left tackle, so there’s some question as to fit here after Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf insisted Will Campbell would stay put. The most reasonable route to the lineup could be eventually taking over for Morgan Moses at right tackle.
This is a really interesting selection by the Patriots, as Lomu played the past two seasons at left tackle for Utah. That’s where 2025 first-rounder Will Campbell played for New England just last year. Lomu currently lacks the physicality to play the right tackle position, so this selection could portend Campbell moving to guard. I like Lomu’s upside, but I see him being a year away from really contributing.
Brent Sobleski (Bleacher Report): C
Some will jump to conclusions. Don’t view Caleb Lomu’s selection as a response to Will Campbell’s poor showing in the postseason. Instead, Lomu is a developmental project who will likely replace Morgan Moses at right tackle when he’s ready.
Right now, Lomu isn’t ready. The underclassman has huge growth potential. He could even take over at left tackle if Campbell continues to disappoint. Right now, he should be viewed exclusively as the long-term plan as Campbell’s bookend. …
Local media
Phil Perry (NBC Sports Boston): A–
The Patriots had a glaring need at offensive tackle, a premium position, and were able to land one of the top seven in this draft class with their first pick. The expectation in Foxboro was that they’d be out of luck on the tackle front, so kudos to them for trading up to get the last tackle standing.
A 21-year-old with room to grow — both physically and as a finisher — Lomu will need some time to develop, but he’ll get exactly that with Morgan Moses and Will Campbell projected to start.
Had the Patriots lucked into Clemson’s Blake Miller or Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor, this would be a straight “A,” but Lomu’s rare physical skill set and the scarcity of the position he plays makes this about as ideal a pick as New England could’ve made with the way the board fell.
Lomu is, in fact, a good player at a premium position.
The Patriots were never going to get someone who could compete for reps right away, but given the way the board fell, they ensured themselves an opportunity to address one of their two biggest needs with a player who will eventually give them high-quality play — though the spot in which he does it is still being figured out. New England seems just fine with allowing him to develop behind their current crop of starters, with anything more than a redshirt season being a bonus — which knocks down our letter grade quite a bit.
Taylor Kyles (CLNS Media): N/A
Lomu isn’t the mauling road-grader New England historically targets at right tackle, but he’s young, experienced, and an excellent athlete. Like 2025 picks Will Campbell and Marcus Bryant, Lomu has the ability to recover from quick losses and stay alive in protection. He also shows impressive awareness to shut down stunts. In the ground game, Lomu should be a plus when crossing face on outside zone or pulling on gap schemes. As a rookie, he projects as Morgan Moses’ protégé, the top swing tackle, and a jumbo tight end in run situations.
Ethan Hurwitz (Sports Illustrated): N/A
It’s a total home run for both parties.
The young Lomu (6-foot-6, 313 lbs) is an athletic pass blocker who started the last two years for the Utes. With Moses entering the final year of guaranteed money on his three-year deal, it was smart for New England to get ahead of a potential need. Now they don’t need to draft a starting tackle next season.
The Patriots will be back on the clock at No. 63 in the second round. Day 2 of the draft will kick off at 7 p.m. ET.
