FOXBOROUGH, Mass — As Eliot Wolf said, the New England Patriots found an "unlikely trade partner" in the Buffalo Bills, moving up and selecting Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu with the 28th overall pick.

So, why did Wolf and the Patriots feel that moving up at this moment was the right decision?

Well, it had to do with the remaining offensive tackles left on the board, with Wolf confirming that they felt there was a large drop off at the position after Lomu.

"We did," he said. "Again, there's still some good players at the tackle and guard as well, but we felt like there was a drop off, and we felt like, again, just the best player available type situation for us at that point."

Lomu provides some necessary depth at the tackle position, having the opportunity to sit behind and learn from Morgan Moses and Will Campbell before hopefully stepping into a starter position one day.

And when the Patriots saw him slipping down the board, Wolf knew it was an opportunity they had to take advantage of since they had a "first-round grade on him."

"He's young, he's experienced, he's athletic, he's a great kid," Wolf explained. "Frankly, I was a little surprised that he was still available, and that's why we decided to move up a little bit. We're excited to add him."

Ahead of Lomu, six tackles were drafted, with Utah's Spencer Fano going to the Cleveland Browns, followed by Miami's Francis Mauigoa being selected by the New York Giants. Miami selected Alabama's Kadyn Proctor while Detroit took Clemson's Blake Miller. The Carolina Panthers decided to draft Georgia's Monroe Freeling, and then it was the Pittsburgh Steelers that took Arizona State's Max Iheanachor, who was looked at as a potential Patriots target due to the video of him and Mike Vrabel from pro day.

With the Patriots knowing that protecting Drake Maye is their main priority, Lomu was the clear choice and is someone Wolf and the team are clearly excited about.

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Eliot Wolf reveals why the Patriots traded up to draft OT Caleb Lomu