From this perspective, Lomu will need to add mass to his frame and improve his play strength to reach his ceiling. He’s also transitioning from a run-option scheme with heavy amounts of play-action passing, which limited his true pass blocking reps on pro-style drop-backs. Plus, if the plan is for him to succeed Morgan Moses at right tackle, he’ll have to switch sides after playing almost exclusively on the left side at Utah.
After six tackles went in the first 21 draft selections, Lomu was the final first-round worthy tackle. Wolf said the Patriots were surprised that Lomu lasted until the end of the first round, which is why they traded up from the 31st overall pick to the 28th, giving up No. 125 in the fourth round to ensure they landed Lomu. In the short term, Lomu can be a top backup to Moses and LT Will Campbell as a rookie, then eventually succeed Moses, who is entering his 13th NFL season at age 35. Lomu projects as a future starting tackle, giving the Patriots two ascending tackles to protect QB Drake Maye.