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Patriots complete trade with Bills, move up in NFL Draft to select offensive tackle Caleb Lomu
The Patriots sent the 31st pick and the 125th pick (a fourth-rounder) to the AFC East rival Bills in exchange for the 28th pick.
After much of the local pre-draft debate was whether or not the Patriots would trade out of the first round, New England opted to trade up. In the end, offensive tackle Caleb Lomu was selected 28th overall out of Utah.
The Patriots sent the 31st pick and the 125th pick (a fourth-rounder) to the AFC East rival Bills in exchange for the 28th pick.
Lomu, 21, entered the draft after starting for two years for the Utes. He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2025, helping Utah go 11-2.
The 6-foot-6, 313-pound lineman has been described by NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein as “still in the early stages of his development.” But Lomu is seen as possessing imense potential.
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“His play could improve rapidly with strength gains and additional coaching,” added Zierlein.
Exactly where Lomu plays on the offensive line in 2026 remains to be seen. Right tackle could be his spot in the future, though the short-term future of 2025 starter Morgan Moses is still to be determined. New England front office executive Eliot Wolf said earlier in April that the “expectation” was for the 35-year-old Moses to be back in Foxborough next season.
Still, if Lomu is seen as something of a developmental prospect, having Moses come back for another season could be hugely beneficial.
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