Several teams reportedly wanted to trade up for Patriots OT Caleb Lomu

There were reportedly "several" teams attempting to trade up for Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He ultimately went to the New England Patriots after the team agreed to send picks No. 31 and No.

125 to the Buffalo Bills for the No. 28th overall pick. Instead of taking an edge rusher, which many expected the Patriots would do, they opted to fortify their offensive line by selecting Lomu.

According to The Athletic's Dane Brugler , other teams were looking to do the same, but the Patriots are the ones who succeeded, thanks to the agreed-upon deal with their AFC East division rivals. "Caleb Lomu was a strong pick, especially with several teams attempting to trade up to get him," Brugler wrote. Coach Mike Vrabel came in with the plan to improve the Patriots' offensive line, which has been a trouble spot for the team over the last few years.

The Patriots used a first-round pick on offensive tackle Will Campbell, a third-round pick on guard Jared Wilson and a seventh-rounder on tackle Marcus Bryant in the 2025 NFL Draft. They double-dipped on the offensive front this year with Lomu and rookie offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover. Lomu has the prototypical size and a strong technical foundation to build on at the NFL level.