Utes Offensive Tackle Drafted By the Patriots with the 28th Pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
During the 2026 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots traded the 31st pick and 125th pick to the Buffalo Bills to move up to the 28th pick. The Patriots selected Utah Utes offensive tackle Caleb Lomu. This selection helps New England’s offensive line, which struggled to protect quarterback Drake Maye deep in the 2025 NFL season, especially showing as a glaring issue in Super Bowl LX. While Lomu has great footwork, he needs to improve his strength to solidify himself as a solid tackle at the professional level.
During the 2024 season with the Utes, the 21-year-old allowed just 17 pressures and two sacks, which earned him a Freshman All-American honor. A year later, he would be named to the First-Team All-Big 12. After being selected by the Patriots, Lomu was shown to be emotional with his family, yet excited to see what’s to come in his young NFL career. New England’s confidence in the 21-year-old tackle has shown, as they believe he will fit right in next to guys like Will Campbell, Morgan Moses, and Marcus Bryant.
During the NFL Combine, Lomu was rated with a total score of 81 but had a prospect grade of 6.38 from NFL Next Gen Stats. His production score was 76, and his athleticism score was 81. The 21-year-old ran a 4.99 in the 40-yard dash. Plus, Lomu had a 32.5-inch vertical jump. The former Utes tackle has shown flashes of greatness, but it’s yet to be determined how he’ll perform with his new team.
New England is all in on Maye and building the offensive line with a 300-pound-plus tackle like Lomu is huge in helping the team in 2026 and beyond. If the 21-year-old can have the same quick footwork, plus, in addition to becoming stronger, he could be a huge viable piece to the Patriots’ future. If the pieces click on and off the field for Lomu, New England could very well find themselves back in the NFL Playoffs or even the Super Bowl. Hopefully, the former Utes offensive tackle can show up and show out with his new team.
