Caleb Lomu lines up at left tackle

Caleb Lomu took his first open rookie minicamp reps at left tackle on May 16, giving an early look at how New England is starting his NFL transition. Patriots.com said the first-round pick worked “almost exclusively” on the left side in walkthroughs and team drills, while also getting some right-tackle work in positional periods. Mike Reiss of ESPN said in comments carried by NESN that the Patriots’ early plan is not to drop Lomu straight into the starting lineup. Reiss said he expects Lomu to open as a swing tackle and top backup, a role that would put him behind returning starter Will Campbell and veteran Morgan Moses while giving the team flexibility at both edge spots. (patriots.com) The alignment matters because New England spent a first-round pick to add Lomu after moving up to No. 28 in the 2026 draft. Patriots.com said the 21-year-old Utah tackle was a two-year starter who played primarily on the left side in college, which makes the minicamp usage consistent with his background even if the roster path points to a reserve role at the start. (nesn.com) ### Why did New England start him on the left side? Patriots.com reported that Lomu “repped almost exclusively at left tackle” during the open rookie minicamp practice. The same report said he also worked at right tackle in positional drills, indicating the club is giving him work on both sides rather than locking him into one spot immediately. (patriots.com) Utah is part of the explanation. Patriots.com’s draft analysis said Lomu primarily played on the left side for the Utes, so left tackle is the cleaner starting point for his first NFL practice work. The team also listed his size at nearly 6-foot-6 and 313 pounds in that analysis. ### If he was a first-round pick, why isn’t he starting right away? (patriots.com) Mike Reiss provided the clearest public answer. In material published by NESN and echoed on the Patriots’ own roundup of outside reaction to the pick, Reiss said Lomu projects as a swing tackle behind Campbell and Moses rather than as an immediate starter. (patriots.com) That setup fits New England’s current tackle depth chart as publicly described. NESN wrote that the organization has identified Campbell as its left tackle, while Moses gives the Patriots an experienced option on the right side. In that structure, Lomu’s first job is depth and cross-training. (nesn.com) ### What did the Patriots invest to get him? The Patriots used the No. 28 overall pick on Lomu after trading up in the first round on April 23. Patriots.com and NFL.com both identified the selection at No. 28, and the Patriots’ draft page lists Lomu as Round 1, Pick 28. Eliot Wolf, the Patriots’ executive vice president of player personnel, said after the pick that “Caleb has a lot of versatility,” according to the Patriots’ draft coverage page. (nesn.com) That comment lines up with the early left-tackle and right-tackle work seen in minicamp. ### What should readers watch when veterans join the field? Will Campbell and Morgan Moses are the names tied most directly to Lomu’s early role. (patriots.com) Reiss’s projection, as published by NESN and highlighted by Patriots.com, puts Lomu behind those two tackles while he develops into the backup option on both sides. (patriots.com) Gillette Stadium will provide the next useful checkpoints once the Patriots move from rookie work into broader offseason practices. The clearest signs will be where Lomu lines up when veterans are present, how often he flips sides, and whether New England keeps him in the swing-tackle track Reiss outlined after the draft. (patriots.com) (nesn.com)