The Patriots are on to Day 3.<\/p>\n
But first, here are five thoughts on the start of their 2026 draft class:<\/p>\n
A B-plus beginning<\/p>\n
The Patriots needed an offensive tackle.<\/p>\n
They landed the last first-round-caliber prospect on Day 1 before a steep drop-off at the position.<\/p>\n
They used one of their extra late-round picks as ammo in a trade up to ensure he didn\u2019t slip through their grasp.<\/p>\n
Well done.<\/p>\n
Caleb Lomu\u2019s selection deserves high marks for several reasons that start right there. Lomu can fill a roster hole this season as the team\u2019s swing tackle, then be groomed as their starting right tackle of the future. He\u2019s only 21, and an elite athlete for the position.<\/p>\n
What keeps this from an \u201cA\u201d grade is the fact Lomu must change positions, which clouds his projection. And other tackles, namely Arizona State\u2019s Max Iheanachor and Clemson\u2019s Blake Miller, offered better short- and long-term fits as college right tackles who play with a mean streak. But Lomu\u2019s traits are undoubtedly intriguing, and given how the board fell (Miller and Iheanachor went 17th and 21stl, respectively), this is probably the best they could do without bankrupting their draft capital on Day 3 to make a major trade up.<\/p>\n
An Eliot Wolf pick<\/p>\n
Eliot Wolf will have final say on the Patriots\u2019 draft picks Saturday, when Mike Vrabel will be away with his family and seeking counseling.<\/p>\n
But we sure Wolf didn\u2019t get a head start with Thurday\u2019s selection?<\/p>\n
Lomu hardly fits the profile of lineman prospects drafted under Vrabel, a player who is not considered overly aggressive and does not play with an edge. Lomu thrives more on his athleticism, as a better pass-protector than he is run-blocker. His game is not quite finesse, but it\u2019s close.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Lomu fits the longtime Packers mold that Wolf learned during the first 15-plus years of his career in Green Bay. He hails from a big school where he started multiple years. He played for a program with a history of strong development at his position. He\u2019s an excellent athlete who also boasts some positional versatility.<\/p>\n
Remember how Wolf first described Lomu late Thursday: \u201cI\u2019m really excited about this player. He\u2019s young, he\u2019s experienced, he\u2019s athletic, he\u2019s a great kid. Frankly, I was a little surprised that he was still available.\u201d<\/p>\n
Later, Wolf added: \u201cBig athletes like this are hard to come by, especially later in the in the first round like this. I don\u2019t want to set him up for any wild comparisons or anything like that, but just really, really happy that we were able to acquire him.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for Vrabel, it was curious he did not work Lomu out at any time in the pre-draft process. The 50-year-old coach has been open about the fact he likes to \u201cfeel\u201d linemen prospects, something he did with Iheanachor when the two locked horns in drills at Arizona State\u2019s Pro Day. Last year, Vrabel traveled to LSU to do the same with Will Campbell.<\/p>\n
But the Patriots moved forward with Lomu anyway. According to the Utah product, the most notable interaction he had with Vrabel was during his interview with the team at the scouting combine back in February.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was kind of mean-mugging a little bit. So, I walked in there, and that made me a little intimidated,\u201d Lomu said. \u201cHe just started asking questions, you know? He knew he was a tough guy in there, so I walked in, he started asking me questions, was getting on me a little bit, and it was awesome. Then right after, it was all smiles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Will Campbell watch<\/p>\n
Until further notice, Campbell is the Patriots\u2019 starting left tackle.<\/p>\n
The only position change he should ever make \u2014 as a player who\u2019s played the same position since high school and never changed \u2014 is to left guard. But unless Campbell\u2019s unseated at left tackle, namely by Lomu, it isn\u2019t happening.<\/p>\n
Vrabel loves him. Wolf reiterated late Thrusday night Campbell is the Patriots\u2019 starting left tackle. Like most rookies, he should be expected to make a Year 2 leap, which would make him a league-average player, if not top-15 left tackle, next season. If Campbell fails, then speculation can fairly begin.<\/p>\n
Until then, it\u2019s a waste of time. The Patriots, over and over again, have made it known how they feel and what they plan to do.<\/p>\n
Farewell, Day 2 draft crushes<\/p>\n
It stung seeing Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez land in Miami on Friday night. He\u2019s an instinctive player and turnover machine, who would have fit perfectly in New England.<\/p>\n
The same goes for Oklahoma edge defender R MasonThomas coming off the board to Kansas City, as a relentless pass rusher with an explosive first step. The Patriots need more players like him.<\/p>\n
And forgive me if I take a peek at how Missouri\u2019s Zion Young, another edge menace, is playing most Sundays for Baltimore. He was a Vrabel prospect if there ever was one, and someone who could have helped address arguably the team\u2019s most glaring need.<\/p>\n
Day 3 positions to watch<\/p>\n
Running back, tight end, offensive line, defensive tackle, linebacker and \u2026 punter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Patriots are on to Day 3. But first, here are five thoughts on the start of their…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":873940,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2050],"tags":[833,839,7,838,1167,249,2326,2094,6,15,15729,835,832,7573,2592,208,107497,834,831,837],"class_list":{"0":"post-873939","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-england-patriots","8":"tag-drake-maye","9":"tag-eliot-wolf","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-mike-vrabel","12":"tag-new-england","13":"tag-new-england-patriots","14":"tag-newengland","15":"tag-newenglandpatriots","16":"tag-nfl","17":"tag-nfl-draft","18":"tag-nfl-draft-2026","19":"tag-nfl-news","20":"tag-nfl-rumors","21":"tag-nfl-draft-rumors","22":"tag-nfl-free-agency","23":"tag-patriots","24":"tag-patriots-2026","25":"tag-patriots-news","26":"tag-patriots-rumors","27":"tag-robert-kraft"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116462479149730787","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/873939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=873939"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/873939\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/873940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=873939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=873939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=873939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}