DRAFT Welcome Caleb Lomu OT Utah

[Ross12]

 

[manxman2601]

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Did he knock Vrabel on his ass? I hear that’s the definitive test!

 

[Ross12]

 

[patsinthesnow]

Smart pick. The way the NFL is trending OTs with starter traits go top 25 & then it’s mostly projects in the middle rounds. He’s a freak athlete, young & was top 25 on consensus big boards.

I have a feeling they like their EDGE room more than the fans & Ponder in particular. He flashed the second half of the year. I expect they’ll add a rotational piece on day 2 but I’d prefer a TE in round 2.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I like the Lomu pick fine. Initially, not a big fan of a player not benching though. Especially if you play off/dline. Either you are nursing a injury or you are hiding functional strength. I get that the bench press isn’t everything, just like the 40 isn’t for wrs either. But tbh, feel it should be mandatory.

However, didn’t realize he’s just a 21 year old rs Sophomore. Plenty of time to build up his strength and power. Good pick to replace Moses and learn from him as well.

 

[Ross12]

 

[manxman2601]

From Dane Brugler's The Beast

Strengths​

• Light-framed athlete and spry out of his stance
• Above-average lateral quickness and adequate balance in his pass sets
• Patiently reacts to rush counters
• Recovers well because of nimble redirect skills and body control
• Able to reset his hands to stay attached without losing his footing
• Showcases fantastic range and timing on GT counter and cross-formation pulls
• Stays square on skip-pulls to climb and wall-off linebackers
• Initial quickness gets him to most reach and cut-off blocks
• Processes things quickly in-game — intelligence will serve him well moving forward
• Wasn’t a captain but was voted a member of Utah’s Leadership Council
• Durable — started 24 games straight at left tackle past two seasons

Weaknesses​

• Underdeveloped play strength and can be rocked off his socks vs. power
• Good-enough length but full extension is more speed bump than brick wall
• Doesn’t consistently fire off the ball in run game and can get knocked back
• Will accelerate into defensive backs as puller but doesn’t show same aggressiveness against linebackers and linemen
• Needs to mature footwork and technique on double teams
• Too much of a catcher and inconsistent punch timing, leaving him in compromised positions
• Inconsistent pass-pro landmarks, inviting inside moves (see 2025 Texas Tech tape)
• Flagged for holding three times in 2025
• Aside from a few unbalanced looks, doesn’t have much experience besides left tackle

 

[Ross12]

 

[manxman2601]

However, didn’t realize he’s just a 21 year old rs Sophomore. Plenty of time to build up his strength and power. Good pick to replace Moses and learn from him as well.

The positive I'm holding on to.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

The positive I'm holding on to.

Sure it's not a negative for you? He's about 4 years too young, way I hear it.

 

[Ross12]

Smart pick. The way the NFL is trending OTs with starter traits go top 25 & then it’s mostly projects in the middle rounds. He’s a freak athlete, young & was top 25 on consensus big boards.

I have a feeling they like their EDGE room more than the fans & Ponder in particular. He flashed the second half of the year. I expect they’ll add a rotational piece on day 2 but I’d prefer a TE in round 2.

I wouldn’t be that shocked to see them kind of “ignore” EDGE in favor of other needs that are still well-stocked like LB and TE, then throw a bunch of darts at the wall at EDGE with their many late picks and with UDFAs just hoping to find a couple decent guys they can use in a rotation. Then, revisit in 2027 with a high round pick on a true impact player.

 

[BobDigital]

Honestly. I am meh on the pick considering what was on the board and the need for a trade up to get it. I understand the reasoning but it felt like a bit of desperation to get an OL in rd 1 than let the board fall and take the best player available.

Considering what was on the board I would have just stayed at 31 or even traded down. Boston, McCoy, McNeil, Lomu, Omar, and a few other guys where still on the board at 28. I would have just let it come to me.

Not that I hate the player. He is worth a back end first round pick. But not a steal.

They spent assets on one of the most high valued positions in football. If you are going to trade up and demand a position over just getting max value, OT is a good spot to do it for.

Current grade for pick B+

 

[manxman2601]

Sure it's not a negative for you? He's about 4 years too young, way I hear it.

Don’t you start. Next year it’s juniors and R/S sophs for me only.

 

[mgteich]

We needed a swing OT. Lomu was the last of the quality lineman. Lomu was BPA. Full stop.
=========
Yes, Lomu may need a year to be even a below average starter at RT, but that's fine. And, yes, we need a 4th OT, presumably one that can backup at RT from Day One. Perhaps that is Bryant. Perhaps we will re-sign Munford. Perhaps, we will draft another RT on Saturday.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

Decent looking reps here:

 

[BUSTAMOVE]

The positive I'm holding on to.

He has some good intangibles. I wanted OT all along but was also intriqued with Kayden McDonald.
I have respect for your POV. He was one of the 7 first round OT. We got one. Hopefully his negatives are fixable which I don’t see why they wouldn’t be.
Our OL has come a long way in 2 years from
2024 Lowe, Jordan, Brown, Onwenu, Jacob’s
2026 Campbell, AVT, Wilson, Onwenu, Moses/Lomu

 

[rads2005]

Round 1​

No. 28:​

How he fits​

Really good value here. I had Lomu as being even with Blake Miller and Max Iheanachor (maybe even a tick higher than Iheanachor), as Lomu should be ready to start at right tackle opposite Will Campbell. This gives the Patriots two very athletic tackles who are plus run blockers.

Lomu isn’t a flashy player, but he gets the job done. He’s very versatile — he could play right or left tackle and maybe even guard. The 49ers also might’ve been looking tackle here, so I don’t hate the trade-up. Nice pick. — Nick Baumgardner

Dane Brugler’s analysis​

Lomu is an above-average athlete, which shows both in pass protection and the run game. He has consistent snap timing, with the mirror quickness to stay in front of wide speed and the body control to catch his balance and recover. In the run game, he explodes out of his stance to cover ground and fit on targets, both backside and out in space. However, he struggled to play with consistent aggression or leg drive as a run blocker — NFL power will be eye-opening for him. Scouts are also concerned with the lack of high-level edge rushers he faced in 2025 (his Texas Tech tape was a shaky performance and showed his youth).

 

[scott99]

Just wanted to add, saw a decent amount of mocks having us taking Lomu at 31. At least 5.

 

[woolster22]

Hopefully he isnt pressed into action because of injuries and can red shirt his rookie season while bulking up. If Campell put on some weight during the break, things are looking much improved over last years oline, in theory.

I was disappointed to see the Miami edge go, but I didn't think there was any way he would last until our pick. Lomu fills a huge need, and his athleticism bodes well.

As I said re Campbell's weakness being weakness, it is one of the easiest things to address with a pro strength and conditioning program, especially so given hes only 21.

If he sees significant reps this year, I expect to see him beat on bull rushes, just like Will last year. Hopefully Will has addressed that obvious flaw and we see an upright Maye dropping dimes off PA with Henderson and Rham running wild.

A guy can wish, right?