FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots moved up the board to draft Utah tackle Caleb Lomu at No. 28 overall.
In an AFC East deal, New England sent one of their fourth-round picks (No. 125 overall) to Buffalo to move up three spots and select Lomu. The 6-foot-6, 310-pounder was a two-year starter for the Utes at left tackle and graded as one of the most athletic tackles at the NFL Combine according to Next Gen Stats.
”Frankly, I was a little surprised that he was still available and that’s why we decided to move up a little bit," Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf said. “We’re just really thrilled. Big athletes like this are hard to come by, especially later in the first round like this. So don’t want to set him up for any wild comparisons or anything like that, but just really, really happy that we were able to acquire him.”
According to Wolf, the Patriots canceled their Top 30 visit with Lomu before the draft because they didn’t expect him to be available late in the first round.
“The (pre-draft) testing was excellent. We interviewed him at the combine. That was great,” Wolf said. “We actually canceled his 30 visit. We had one scheduled and we just didn’t think he was going to factor in for us. We thought he’d be gone.”
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah had Lomu as the 30th ranked prospect in the draft.
“He has an ideal frame with room to add more weight/strength,” Jeremiah said. “In pass protection, he has average foot quickness and plays a little upright. Yet, he consistently stays square and does a nice job reworking his hands to avoid allowing defenders to pry open his shoulder.
“He has excellent feel and awareness against stunts/games. In the run game, he lacks knock-back power, but he fits up cleanly and stays attached. He takes proper angles to the second level and stays off the ground. Overall, Lomu does need to add some core strength, but he has the rest of the ingredients to be a solid starting tackle at the next level.”
Mike Vrabel has maintained that Will Campbell is his starting left tackle, but on the right side, Morgan Moses is 35 years old. If Lomu needs more time to add strength, perhaps the Patriots see the 21-year-old as Moses’ replacement down the line. On a conference call after being drafted, Lomu said he’d suit up wherever Vrabel asked him to.
“I’ll play wherever,” Lomu said. “I’m coming in to play football, the game I love. I’m able to play any position, and so wherever the team needs me, I’m going to be able to play. Just so excited to be part of it.”
NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein believes Lomu will eventually be a “plus starter” and compared him to Titans tackle Dan Moore Jr.
“Utah’s run game leaned heavily on movement and misdirection, preventing Lomu from firing out and showing his power,” Zierlein said. “His run blocking trails his pass protection, but improved pad level and a nastier demeanor could close the gap. In protection, he shows good balance with adequate foot quickness, landing quick, well-timed punches and using a firm grip to control rushers once he’s in. His anchor was rarely stressed by power and his athletic recoveries are average. Lomu flashes but is still under construction. His play could improve rapidly with strength gains and additional coaching.”
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