Patriots Rookie Caleb Lomu Excited to Block for Drake Maye
FOXBORO --- Caleb Lomu plans to play for the New England Patriots for a long time.
The 28th overall pick made his first visit to Gillette Stadium as a member of the team, and was presented with the team's annual No. 1 uniform on the field. Flanked by owner Robert Kraft and president Jonathan Kraft, the Utah rookie said he was excited about meeting his new teammates.
Some of those new teammates are the last two first round picks -- quarterback Drake Maye and left tackle Will Campbell. Both of them texted Lomu after he heard his name called in the first round late last month.
"(Maye) actually texted me as well after draft night. That was awesome to see," Lomu said. "Young quarterback, I love the energy that he brings to the team, the talent that he has. I'm excited to be able to protect for him and play with him. He's such a young guy with so much, you know, left of him and experience and talent, and so I'm excited to be able to play for that for many years."
The MVP-level quarterback was helped out by the addition of Lomu, who was as reliable as offensive tackles get out of college. The Utes' left tackle this past season, he fell in the draft -- allowing New England to trade up and snag him. Trading a fourth rounder to move up with the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots were aggressive in getting a player that fits a need.
Right now, Lomu doesn't have a spot on the offensive line. All five starting jobs are filled, but that doesn't bother the rookie. He says he's willing to play either left or right tackle, or kick inside and play at guard. He just wants to get on the field and play meaningful snaps on the way to a Super Bowl.
Lomu Is Excited To Play With Drake Maye
As part of the installation process since being drafted, Lomu has also been getting adjusted to his fellow offensive linemen. While he hasn't met any of them in person, he's been getting to work through online positional meetings.
"(Campbell) and a few other guys texted me right after I got drafted, sent me just a welcoming text," Lomu said. "And then also been able to do some meetings with the O-line getting installed and all that ready, and so got to talk with them. Just over Zoom, though. Haven't met any of them yet in person. So excited for that opportunity."
"I Plan On Staying Here For A Long Time"
A lot of conversation has been made about the offensive tackles in New England and whether Lomu was drafted to replace Campbell at left tackle. He could also step up to be the replacement for Morgan Moses, who turned 35 this offseason and contract runs up at the end of the 2027 season.
But right now, the one player that Lomu won't be replacing is his quarterback. Both players remain on rookie contracts, and should be key pieces of the Patriots' offense moving forward.
The equally-as-young Lomu says that he hopes to be protecting Maye for a "long time.'
"He's young, and so he'll be here for a long time," Lomu said. "I plan on staying here for a long time as well, and I'm very excited to get that, excited to be able to meet him here soon in person. But so far it's been positive."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots Rookie Caleb Lomu Excited to Block for Drake Maye.
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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 5:00 AM.