Patriots Scout Breaks Down Caleb Lomu's Strengths

There's a lot to like about New England Patriots first round draft choice Caleb Lomu. From the ability in pass protection on the field, to his personality off of it, the Utah offensive tackle should be a great fit for the next few seasons.

Plenty has been said about Lomu. But now we're hearing from one member of the scouting department about some of the rookie's strengths.

In the Patriots' latest episode of their in-house documentary, "Forged In Foxborough," area scout Landon Simpson spoke about Lomu at the NFL Combine. In the brief clip, Simpson -- who's New England's west area scout -- raved about the 21-year-old at Indianapolis.

"First off, I thought he had a great interview," Simpson said. "Came in with the right energy. Made of the right stuff. Certainly got the wiring to be a pro at this level."

"He's A Real Big Guy ... Got Massive Hands"

Lomu had a great showing at the Combine in Indianapolis, posting a 4.99-second 40-yard dash, a 1.74-second 10-yard split, a 32.5" vertical jump and a 9-foot-5 broad jump. Those testing numbers, along with some pre-draft meetings, gave New England the confidence to trade up and grab the tackle with the 28th overall selection last month.

Mar 1, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Utah offensive lineman Caleb Lomu (OL33) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“Biggest thing about him is he’s a real big guy," Simpson continued. "Got massive hands, heavy hands, but he moves well; he’s nimble on his feet, has some quickness working side to side. Like his ability in pass pro to anchor. He’s able to drop his weight and hold firm."

Now, one of the knocks of Lomu (and maybe a reason for why he fell into the bottom of the first round) is that he isn't the greatest run blocker in the world. Patriots brass has admitted he needs to get stronger, but should be able to develop that as the team's top backup this season.

This was something that Simpson mentioned during the brief documentary clip.

"In the run game, he needs to be a little bit of a mauler, but I think he plays with some instincts and awareness for everything around him," he said. "He’ll put his hands on people and he’s not afraid to finish. And I think he’s a smart dude."

As he now gets situated in New England, Lomu has a chance to put those instincts and smarts to the test. During the team's rookie minicamp, he was one of a few tackles active during the session. Lomu repped as the top left tackle, while fellow rookie Dametrious Crownover was on the opposite side of the line.

Patriots Scouts Loved Lomu At Utah

May 7, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots first round draft pick Caleb Lomu addresses the media during a press conference on the game field at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Natalie Reid-Imagn Images | Natalie Reid-Imagn Images

Lomu's workload may not be drastic to begin his NFL career. Will Campbell and Morgan Moses have locked down both starting tackle roles, and it doesn't appear that either of them will be moving anytime soon. For the Utah rookie, starting as the Patriots' top swing tackle seems to be the likely course of action.

But if you ask Lomu, he's just happy to be with a historic franchise that was willing to take a chance on him.

"I know a competitive team that's willing to work and take that extra step to get to that far into the season. And so I'm so excited to be a part of that, be able to get back there next year is what I want - that'd be amazing," Lomu told reporters after being drafted. "But it's just the Patriots in general. The organization's a wonderful organization.

"They're just a team that loves to play and I can see that. I loved following them last year, and now I'm part of them."

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