Which player is further ahead in their development...
Lomu, Jacas and Raridon: what is your opinion of these 3 so far in the Patriots system? I think all 3 have been less productive then we thought up to this point. Do we think they would contribute much in 2026?
- Lomu: so far he's not playing like a 1st rounder. He was the last 1st round OT that teams "thought" he might contribute. IMO part of the problem is moving him around so much. Let him grow and get better at one position on the OL before moving him elsewhere.
- Jacas: didn't sign until late and perhaps that is holding him back some. He can bull rush and that's about it so far. We need a season or 2 before we can comp K. White.
- Raridon: his growth so far is probably on-par with where he was drafted...maybe. He's not much of a blocker and people need to understand that. He may improve in that area if he puts on 10 lbs for 2027.
Lomu is playing exactly as expected. Fans see 1st round pick and think it means Hall of Fame in season one. Don't rewrite history and create draft profiles that never existed. Lomu has the talent of a late first round pick, but is raw and needs to work on strength. That's always been the story. He will be a totally different player in years 2-3.
Nfl Draft Buzz: The development curve matters here. Lomu has only 27 college games and 1,620 career snaps under his belt. His pass blocking jumped meaningfully from his first year starting to his second, which tells you he absorbs coaching and applies it quickly. A team that drafts him late in the first round is not buying a finished product. They are buying a left tackle with rare movement skills and legitimate blind-side protection ability who needs a year or two of NFL strength and conditioning work to round out the run game and shore up the anchor. That is a bet worth making, because when the body catches up to the feet and the hands, the result could be a fixture at the most premium position on the offensive line for a decade.
Bleacher Report: 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. 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.
Caleb Lomu NFL Draft Scouting Report
The Draft Network: Twitch and Explosiveness: Lomu lacks some of the quick-twitch and high-end explosiveness to become an elite offensive tackle. This shows up against rangy, quick rushers. Functional Strength: Lomu can struggle to hold his ground against power rushes and isn’t a consistent displacer.
PFF: Lomu is a well-built, ascending tackle prospect with a strong foundation. He could compete for starting reps early, and with added strength and experience, he projects as a reliable NFL starter.
NFL.com: Lomu flashes but is still under construction. His play could improve rapidly with strength gains and additional coaching.
Gallops and opens his outer half too quickly against speed rushers. Better harmony needed between his hands and feet. Footwork can get sloppy mirroring inside moves and counters. Still learning to find lateral landmarks in the run game. Can be out of control and miss his positioning when fitting run blocks. Needs to keep improving upper-body strength. Below average with sustain and finish consistency.
The Athletic's Dane Brugler: "Lomu must get stronger and continue to develop his technique and grit, but NFL teams are understandably intrigued by his movement ability and ready-to-cultivate left tackle skill set," wrote The Athletic's Dane Brugler. "His upside points to him becoming an NFL starter."
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein: Lomu is "still in the early stages of his development, but he could improve rapidly with strength gains and additional coaching."
Fantasy Pros: Functional strength and contact balance leave something to be desired; can get overpowered by some of the bigger/stronger blockers he plays against, and will need some time in a pro strength program to continue developing his body. Lomu doesn’t play with quite as much knee-bend as you’d like, which can lead to some occasional waist-bending.
Athlon Sports: Lomu lacks the mass and power to be a consistent driver in the run game, as his tall and lean frame presents challenges against stout run defenders from a strength and leverage standpoint. He’ll likely need to add some bulk if he wants to develop into a more complete player at the next level, and hold his own against stronger opponents at the point of attack. He shows flashes of polished technique at times, but he still needs to find consistency there, as lapses in footwork and hand placement will get exposed by pro defenders.
