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Patriots trade with Bills to snag Utah’s Caleb Lomu in 2026 NFL Draft

Rebecca French

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots are thought to either rush with the 31st overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft or try to drop out of the first round entirely.

Instead, the Patriots went up.

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After the Houston Texans made a trade with the Buffalo Bills for the No. 26 and No. 28 picks, respectively, the Patriots reached a deal with their AFC East rivals to move up three spots to No. 28. New England selected Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu to bolster a unit tasked with protecting quarterback Drake Maye.

The Patriots selected left tackle Will Campbell fourth overall and have a young counterpart on the other side of the defensive line as immediate security in right tackle Morgan Moses, a valuable 2025 veteran signed by the team that reached Super Bowl 60 last season. First, Lomu — who is considered a high-level, above-average athlete — can be a tackle during his rookie season.

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The image above shows a detailed view of the stage and screen showing Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza after he was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the first overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, 2026 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“He’s young. He’s experienced. He’s athletic. He’s a great kid,” vice president of player personnel Elliott Wolfe said. “Frankly, I’m surprised he’s still working – that’s why we promoted him.”

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Wolf mentioned the “benefits” while saying Lomu can play at any position.

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Wolfe also reiterated that Campbell will be at left tackle, despite his struggles at the end of his rookie season — after suffering a meniscus injury.

The Patriots moved up three spots by giving up the 125th overall pick in the fourth round.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patriots and Bills trade first-round pick so Patriots can take Caleb Lomu

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