Morning Sports Update

Mike Vrabel was one of several New England representatives to speak with Lomu.

By Hayden Bird

April 24, 2026 | 11:24 AM

3 minutes to read

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Patriots share phone call with first-round pick: On Thursday night, the Patriots traded with the Bills to move up in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft and select offensive tackle Caleb Lomu out of Utah with the 28th overall pick.

Lomu, who was with friends and family and not in Pittsburgh at the draft itself, received the phone call informing him of New England’s decision by executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf. The Patriots released audio of the call shortly afterward, sharing it on the team’s social media.

“Hey, listen, we just made a trade,” Wolf explained to Lomu in the recording. “So we are going to make you our first-round pick. Congratulations.”

Lomu thanked Wolf before the phone was passed to New England head coach Mike Vrabel. Vrabel, who made a statement shortly before the draft about the ongoing controversy he’s immersed in regarding the release of photos of himself with former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini, spoke briefly with Lomu.

“Caleb, how are you? It’s Coach Vrabel,” he said, adding that he was “doing great.”

“We’re excited to have you,” Vrabel said. “I hope you’re with your family and you’re enjoying this, and we can’t wait to get you here and give you a chance to help the football team.”

The phone was then passed to Robert Kraft, who also welcomed him to the Patriots.

.@CalebLomu51‘s draft room call 📞@newbalance | @Utah_Football pic.twitter.com/sgI1EpSVXC

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) April 24, 2026

And, just because it’s an enjoyable soundbite, here’s how things went on Lomu’s end:

Another 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕🥹@CalebLomu51 🤝 @Patriots #GoUtes | #ProUtes | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/T8BB1ZsIe8

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) April 24, 2026

Trivia: Before Caleb Lomu, who was the most recent player the Patriots selected in the draft with the 28th pick?

(Answer at the bottom.)

Hint: He was a linebacker from Ohio State drafted in 1999.

More from Boston.com:

• Mike Vrabel admits he failed to ‘meet the standard that I hold myself to’ in press conference statement
• Mike Vrabel to seek counseling, will reportedly skip Day 3 of NFL Draft amid release of new photos with Dianna Russini
• Sabres rally to beat Bruins 3-1, take 2-1 lead in playoff series
• Bruins need more from top stars if they want to even Sabres series
• Red Sox swept by Yankees 4-2 as bullpen wastes Payton Tolle’s season debut
• ‘She was an incredible person’: With late mother as ongoing inspiration, Payton Tolle is finding himself
• Patriots complete trade with Bills, move up in NFL Draft to select offensive tackle Caleb Lomu
• 5 things to know about Patriots first-round pick Caleb Lomu
• Eliot Wolf admits Patriots were surprised Caleb Lomu was still available before trade-up
• Here’s an updating list of the Patriots’ picks in the 2026 NFL Draft
• WEEI yet again shaking up its lineup for afternoon drive

A strange draft day twist: In a non-Patriots draft story, wide receiver Makai Lemon initially thought he was getting picked by the Steelers in front of the team’s home crowd. But at the literal last minute, the Eagles traded up in front of Pittsburgh to pick the talented wideout. NFL insider Ian Rapoport explained the context.

From the NFL Draft: A wild story, as the #Eagles trade up for Makai Lemon… while he was on the phone with the #Steelers. pic.twitter.com/r1R6pQnFgi

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 24, 2026

On this day: In 1983, the Celtics defeated the Hawks 98-79 to clinch a first-round best-of-three playoff series. The story of the game came in a bizarre sequence in which Boston guard Danny Ainge and Atlanta’s Tree Rollins got into a fight.

The next day, the Boston Herald’s headline became famous: “Tree bites man.”

📽️ FLASHBACK: 41 years-ago, the infamous “Tree Bites Man” incident between Tree Rollins and Danny Ainge pic.twitter.com/x5miLGhMN8

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 24, 2024

Daily highlight: It was another tough day for the Red Sox, but this Jarren Duran catch is still something worth watching again.

¡Gran jugada de Jarren Duran! 👏🏻😎 Se lanza en el izquierdo y roba el extrabase. ¡Joya a la defensiva! 💎⚾ pic.twitter.com/rIAoh6120w

— MLB México (@MLB_Mexico) April 24, 2026

Trivia answer: Andy Katzenmoyer