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The New England Patriots can't ignore a remaining "issue" about 2026 NFL draft first-round pick, left tackle Caleb Lomu.
The decision to use their top pick in the 2026 NFL draft to take a left tackle for the second year in a row raised some eyebrows, and the New England Patriots face a remaining “issue” they can’t ignore about rookie offensive lineman Caleb Lomu.
He may or may not be an immediate replacement for last year’s fourth-overall pick Will Campbell. Or Lomu might be tabbed as the long-term successor to 35-year-old right tackle Morgan Moses, but the first-year blocker’s role might be defined less by scheme fit, and more by how Lomu overcomes a core weakness.
It’s a potentially fatal flaw described by Dane Brugler of The Athletic. He acknowledged how Lomu’s “athletic traits lived up to the hype” at Utah, but the 6-foot-6 313-pounder’s “lack of play strength remained an issue, knocking him down the board a tad.”
Maybe there was a good reason Lomu didn’t hear his named called until the Pats used the second-to-last pick of the opening round. However, another high-profile lineman costing a first-round pick, despite a core issue, should make fans nervous after Campbell’s short arm length dominated the narrative throughout his erratic first year.
Campbell’s inability to handle lengthy edge-rushers, particularly during the postseason, has many calling for the former LSU stud to switch to guard. There’s a three-time Pro Bowl template for Campbell shifting inside, but the move will only be possible if Lomu is able to take over protecting the blindside on the edge.
It’s the key spot for this team up front because keeping franchise quarterback Drake Maye clean remains the priority. The job is important enough to demand maximum focus from Lomu, but instead, he’s being asked to learn multiple roles.
Lomu is clear on where he wants to play, so the Patriots need him to meet the demands of the position at the pro level. That will require Lomu eliminating issues with technique identified by Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn, who highlighted “Inconsistent set lines and positional leverage in pass protection result in him floating/drifting past his spot to overset or too quickly opening up that prematurely shortens the corner.”
Those aren’t the kind of mistakes Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels can tolerate in front of Maye. Nor will McDaniels want to see too many reminders of how Lomu’s “Below average play strength shows up primarily in the run game, leading to quick stalemates, soft edges and shaky sustain skills, especially on angle-drive blocks,” per Thorn.
Taking physical ownership of running lanes will be key to helping dynamic second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson change the Pats’ plans in the backfield. Lomu’s role in this plan will depend on how he overcomes the play strength issue.
Fortunately, he’s already making all the right noises about fixing what needs to be fixed.
Lomu chose his words carefully when describing his approach to playing offensive tackle, but those words bode well for the Patriots. He declared himself “a very technical player. I study the game really hard. I like to be very prepared out there … As an offensive lineman, too, you’ve got to be mean and aggressive, so that’s part of my game as well,” per Jack Aylmer of FanSided’s Musket Fire.
Patriots rookie OT Caleb Lomu on describing his game:
“I’m a very technical player. I study the game really hard. I like to be very prepared out there … As an offensive lineman, too, you’ve got to be mean and aggressive, so that’s part of my game as well.”
Being aggressive and playing above his strength will be vital for Lomu making the grade in the NFL. Even if it only stokes the debate about where Campbell fits best.
Ultimately, that’s a good problem to have for the Patriots. A left side of Lomu and Campbell, next to converted young center Jared Wilson, could put a strong enough wall in front of Maye for the next decade.
James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko
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