See what the experts had to say about the Patriots first round draft pick from the 2026 NFL Draft.

Round 1, Pick 28: Caleb Lomu, OT - Utah

Michael Dussault, Patriots.com: The Patriots move up to make sure Drake Maye's protection stays up to par. Lomu is highly athletic and should slide in as the swing tackle during his rookie year. He and Will Campbell could eventually project as the Patriots bookends for the long term.

Evan Lazar, Patriots.com: The #Patriots select OT Caleb Lomu from Utah

Adam Schefter, ESPN: At No. 28 the Patriots selected Utah OT Caleb Lomu.

Ian Rapoport, NFL Network: The #Patriots traded up with the #Bills and selected #Utah OT Caleb Lomu at No. 28.

Phil Perry, NBC Sports Boston: Guys like Caleb Lomu don't grow on trees. Tackle was a glaring need, and they got one of the top seven. Is he everything they'd ideally want from a finishing standpoint? No. But he got to their range, and they made a decision that should help them protect Drake Maye long term.

Brian Hines, Pats Pulpit: The Patriots have selected OT Caleb Lomu (Utah)

Mike Reiss, ESPN:

Patriots trade up to No. 28 and select Utah LT Caleb Lomu.

🏈 6-6, 313

🏈 22 starts last 2 season

🏈 21 years old

🏈 Projects as a swing tackle behind Will Campbell/Morgan Moses

🏈 Ourlads: "Not as powerful as run bolcker, shows athleticism and mobility to execute zone runs."

Mark Daniels, MassLive: Protecting Drake Maye is the No. 1 priority. Finding tackles is hard. Now, the Patriots have drafted back-to-back tackles in the first round with Will Campbell and Caleb Lomu

Ari Meirov, The 33rd Team: The #Patriots have selected Utah OT Caleb Lomu at No. 28. Lomu's 2025 campaign — zero sacks allowed — earned him First-Team All-Big 12 honors. He started 24 games at LT in two years.

Andrew Callahan, The Boston Herald: The most interesting part of this pick to me is Lomu does not profile as a Vrabel-type prospect at all, and certainly not like Will Campbell last year. He's talented and fills a need. I think this was great value, but a 1st-round OL who's not overly aggressive is surprising.

Alex Barth, 98.5 The Sports Hub: Eliot Wolf says he believes Caleb Lomu has the athleticism to play multiple spots on the offensive line. "Big athletes like this are hard to come by."

Jerry Thornton, Barstool Sports: Lomu just turned 21. Redshirted in 2023, giving him just 27 career games. This feels more like a pick for 2027 than this year.