Lomu

[sg14]

Bet the Pats thought the 49ers wanted Lomu.

 

[mayoclinic]

Yesterday I had Lomu (in brackets) as my #3 option for the Pats behind Iheanachor and Miller. My explanation for why I had him in brackets:

I'm not personally sold on Lomu. He has good size, length, athleticism and footwork. But I don't see the violence and aggression that I'm looking for. My biggest question about him is whether he has the temperament to knock people on their ass.

So I'm not pounding the table for him like for Freeling, Iheanachor, or Miller. But if the Pats brain trust drafted him, I could get on board with it.

 

[sg14]

Nat Tice had Lomu as his #10 overall prospect, mentioned a mean streak.

2026 NFL Draft combined rankings: No. 1 overall prospect is a Big Ten star — just not Fernando Mendoza

Nate Tice and Charles McDonald have delivered their individual 50-player big boards. Here's where their rankings average out with regard to the 2026 draft class.

sports.yahoo.com

That write up reads opposite to all others that I have seen???

 

[manxman2601]

 

[neuronet]

Happy days are here again! Nice move front office! Need met.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Again you saying I said things.. i know English is not my first language but that one wasn’t pretty ok I tink.
I asked why people say he can play RT.
I haven’t seen any film of it. So I’m curious as to what exactly is that people saw that makes him a viable RT option.

You are right. Wolf said Wallace could play LT, so it is OK to be skeptical until we see Lomu switch from LT to RT. Hopefully Cowden knows what he is doing, Wolf is lost.

 

[manxman2601]

From 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

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

You can't teach size and athleticism.

Agree. And he is really coordinated. More so than most all prospects.

You can help him develop a mean streak.

I am not sure you can teach competitiveness or a mean streak. But the Pats can make him a lot stronger. Size, athleticism, and strength at his size is not common.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Yesterday I had Lomu (in brackets) as my #3 option for the Pats behind Iheanachor and Miller. My explanation for why I had him in brackets:

Great note Mayo.

 

[Rdforty2]

That write up reads opposite to all others that I have seen???

That ranking is actually a combined ranking of Tice and Charles McDonald. The blurb is from McDonald, not Tice.

Tice has him at #14, as of a month ago.

2026 NFL Draft big board: Fernando Mendoza, a top-3 RB and a run on Ohio State players

Yahoo Sports NFL Draft expert Nate Tice's top 50 list of prospects starts with a quarterback but is chock-full of edge rushers and defensive backs. And two more QBs make the board.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Rdforty2]

McShay on Lomu. Had him 1 spot higher than Iheanachor.

Caleb Lomu Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Todd McShay's scouting report for Caleb Lomu. Grades, measurables, combine results, strengths, and role projection.

theringer.com

 

[ctpatsfan77]

 

[OldEngland]

So the rumour about the Pats be willing to trade up for one of the OTs ended up being true.

 

[manxman2601]

i watched Hayden winks on the pick. Basically he said Lomu is a less good Will Campbell. Loses in the same way.

 

[stelfans]

The good thing is he’s young so there’s plenty of room to grow. I think he’s a good pick if you need a LT.
I remain skeptical about him as a RT, but i have no problem to admit I’m wrong the minute he proves it. Hopefully I’ll have to.

I think the patriots were ready to trade up for whatever tackle was left. They wanted one and the only way to do it was in the first round.

 

[Water Boy]

Just because he hasn't done it doesn't mean he can't.

Doesn't mean he can either. It's an unknown and a risk. They say the transition is easier for college players than nfl veterans, but not all players thrive moving to the opposite side.

 

[DarrylS]

In all the mocks I saw there was no indication he would have lasted until #28, not sure if that is good or bad, but from my POV it looks like the Pats got a decent deal...
Gone are the days when the Pats got low picks in the draft... Lomu is a good addition. He has some time to add some muscle and can learn the position..

 

[bakes781]

Maybe Vrabel lied to us all just like he did his wife and Will Campbell does move to LG? It's a good value as he was projected to go mid 1st so I can't complain.

 

[Water Boy]

Lomu Campbell Wilson Onwenu Vera-Tucker

 

[Water Boy]

With the exception of Onwenu it looks like we have a line built for a zone blocking scheme.