What NFL draft analysts are saying about Utah prospect Caleb Lomu

Most of the draft talk involving the Utah football program over the past 12 months has been centered around its consensus All-American and Outland Trophy recipient, Spencer Fano.

While the Spanish Fork native has certainly earned the buzz surrounding his name, his partner-in-crime on the other side of the Utes' O-line has garnered the attention of NFL scouts and analysts over the past year as well.

Caleb Lomu, the 6-foot-6 Gilbert, Arizona, native who held down the left side of Utah's front line, began to climb draft boards and position rankings as he put together a dominant season as a redshirt sophomore. In 12 starts, Lomu allowed just eight pressures, six hurries and no sacks across 357 pass-blocking opportunities, and helped the Utes amass a school-record 3,462 yards on the ground. Those efforts led to him taking home All-Big 12 first team honors at the end of the 2025 campaign.

Here's what a few NFL draft experts have said and written about Lomu in the lead up to the 2026 NFL Draft (April 23-25).

Strengths: Athleticism, Technique

If there's anything NFL draft analysts have taken away from Lomu's somewhat brief but very efficient collegiate career, it's his athletic profile.

"Lomu is an above-average athlete, which shows both in pass protection and the run game," wrote The Athletic's Dane Brugler in his evaluation of Lomu. "He has consistent snap timing, with the mirror quickness to stay in front of wide speed and the body control to catch his balance and recover."

On top of what he did on the field as a redshirt sophomore, Lomu gave scouts plenty of reasons to think highly of him as a future NFL tackle during the combine. His athleticism score of 86 ranked No. 5 among tackles, while his production score (76) and total score (81) came in at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.

Regarding his game tape from the 2025 season, it's not hard to assess how well Lomu performs as a run-blocker given how heavily the Utes leaned on their ground game. As Bugler noted in his assessment, Lomu's quickness and ability to cover ground stands out when watching how he pulls and gets up the field on outside run plays, creating alleys for ballcarriers to run through and get to the second level.

Despite his frequent usage in the run game, Lomu also stands out to draft analysts with his ability to protect the passer.

"He’s quick and he hits his landmarks getting out of his pass sets," wrote The Ringer's Todd McShay in his evaluation of Lomu. "He makes it tough for edge rushers to get into his frame by knocking their hands down, mixing up his sets, and working his hands inside."

Areas for Growth: Size, Power

For as effective as Lomu was at his left tackle spot this past season, draft analysts believe he still has room to grow in a few areas, including how well he finishes blocks in the run game.

"He flashes a finisher’s mentality in the run game," McShay wrote. "Sometimes his high pad level leads to him falling off some blocks. It also hinders his ability to adjust and stay connected when he climbs to the second level."

Given how dominant Utah's run game was this past season, it would've been hard to notice any faults in Lomu's technique. Certain details, though, like his power and ability to position himself when fitting run blocks, do require some improvement in the eyes of some analysts.

"He struggled to play with consistent aggression or leg drive as a run blocker," Brugler wrote. "NFL power will be eye-opening for him."

The freak-of-natures Lomu will be going up against on the other side of the line of scrimmage might come as a shock as well, considering his only experience with high-level edge rushers this past season came against Texas Tech's David Bailey.

NFL Draft Ranking

Questions about Lomu's readiness for the next level as a 21-year-old who doesn't hold a lot of experience against top-not pass rushers aren't enough to keep most mock draft creators from placing him inside the top 32 picks. CBS Sports (No. 13), The Ringer (No. 20) Tankathon (No. 23) and ESPN (No. 27) all have Lomu going somewhere in the first round as a top-six offensive tackle prospect on their respective big boards. Pro Football Focus is one of the few outlets that have Lomu as a second-round talent (No. 38 overall).