It wasn’t a secret that the New England Patriots needed to address their offensive line in the NFL Draft. That’s exactly what they tried to do in the opening round, trading up to draft Caleb Lomu, an offensive tackle from Utah.
Shortly after being selected, Lomu spoke to media members. There, he opened up about the opportunity and blocking for Drake Maye.
“I’m so excited for that,” Lomu said. “Younger quarterback coming in. Such an amazing player. I mean, what they’ve got going there, especially on their offense, I’m going to be a part of and just their team, they’re on the rise. It’s amazing. Drake Maye is such a talented quarterback. I’m so excited to be able to work with him every day, be able to protect him.”
“I’m a protector,” Lomu said. “I’m an offensive lineman. It’s my job to protect that guy. I’m going to do everything that I can to protect him. So, being able to go to work with him now is going to be amazing.”
This is the second season in a row where the Patriots used their first-round pick on an offensive tackle. So, protecting Maye is clearly the priority in New England.
Drake Maye Needed More Protection Last Season
GettyNew England Patriots QB Drake Maye getting sacked
One thing is clear, the New England Patriots need to find a way to protect Drake Maye better than they did last year. In particular, better than they were in the playoffs.
According to Statmuse, the Patriots gave up 21 sacks in four postseason games. That would severely limit Maye and their offseason production for the entirety of their Super Bowl run. At one point in the Super Bowl, when the offense seemed to have some life, it would be shut down by a strip sack returned for a touchdown.
At the time, Maye was also dealing with a shoulder injury. Keeping him upright and healthy with players like Lomu coming in is going to be important if the Patriots do want to make another run to the Super Bowl.
What to Know About Caleb Lomu
GettyNew England Patriots draft pick Caleb Lomu
New Patriots offensive lineman Caleb Lomu was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023, according to Rivals. He would choose to go to Utah over offers from Arizona, Arizona State, and Michigan, among several other programs.
While at Utah, he would redshirt in 2023 before first seeing consistent action in 2024 as a redshirt freshman. Lomu would start 12 games at left tackle, earning Freshman All-American honors. Returning in 2025, Lomu would again start 12 games at left tackle, this time earning All-Big 12 honors.
What that amounts to is that Lomu is still a very young player. He has room to keep improving and could do to continue adding muscle to his frame.
What will be interesting to track is how the Patriots choose to use Lomu in his rookie season. Will Campbell and Morgan Moses both return as the starting tackles, and Campbell was last year’s third-overall pick. Campbell, notably, plays left tackle, which also begs the question about Lomu’s long-term position, given that he also played left tackle in college.
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