FOXBORO — Patriots first-round pick Caleb Lomu was in safe hands on his red-eye flight to Boston on Wednesday night.
His uncle, Curtis Tanner, just happened to be assigned at the last minute to Lomu’s American Airlines flight from Arizona to Boston. Tanner made a big show out of Lomu being on his plane.
“He’s the type of uncle where he’s going to embarrass you a little bit,” Lomu said Thursday at his introductory press conference on the Gillette Stadium game field. “So, I knew it was coming. My family told me to film it. And so I got on the plane. I was kind of waiting. And then, of course, he got on the intercom, started talking, and then he actually brought — I thought he was gonna just talk about me — but he brought me up to the front, gave me this flight pin of my first flight with him, just telling everyone who I was and proud uncle is what he was saying, so it was awesome.”
Patriots owner Robert Kraft called it good “karma.”
From there, Lomu went to his hotel to sleep, got a tour of the New Balance Athletics Center and walked into Gillette Stadium with Robert and Jonathan Kraft to be officially introduced as a Patriot.
Lomu had never been to New England before, so his first impression of the weather — “it’s perfect” — might change over time, but said it’s “been an awesome day.”
“Definitely ready to get under that helmet and get ready to play some ball,” Lomu said.
Typically, a Patriots first-round pick is introduced on the Gillette Stadium game field on the day after they are drafted. The Patriots elected to wait until Lomu was in town for this weekend’s rookie minicamp, which runs from Friday through Sunday. Reporters will be on hand to watch Saturday’s practice.
The Patriots traded up to select Lomu 28th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, using a fourth-round pick to move up from the 31st selection.
Lomu was a two-year starter at Utah and played left tackle. He didn’t allow a sack in 2025 and surrendered just eight total pressures. In two seasons, he let up two sacks, eight QB hits and 15 hurries with the Utes.
He likely won’t be a rookie starter for the Patriots, barring injury. The Patriots are expected to go into the 2026 season with Will Campbell at left tackle, Alijah Vera-Tucker at left guard, Jared Wilson at center, Mike Onwenu at right guard and Morgan Moses at right tackle.
Lomu is most likely the long-term replacement for Moses, 35, though executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said last month that Lomu has the versatility to play along the offensive line.
Lomu was asked Thursday about playing potentially playing on the right side.
“I just feel myself as a tackle, just in general, left or right side,” Lomu said. “Just happened to play left in college, and that’s kind of what I got comfortable to just playing those three years at left tackle at Utah. First year there, I was kind of a swing tackle, so I feel comfortable at left and also been working out at right these past couple months. Feel just as good on the right side, as well. So, either tackle position I’m happy to play and feel comfortable playing.”
Lomu is also open to playing guard if it means getting on the field earlier.
“Any position that they need me at, I’m willing to play, and would love to play,” Lomu said. “There’s five guys. There’s five positions and any position that I can contribute to to help the team, I’m going to do that. And just to get on the field and get some playing time. That’s the goal, and whatever position that they need me to play to be able to get on the field and play, I’m willing to do.”
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft introduce their first-round draft pick Caleb Lomu. (staff photo by Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft introduce their first-round draft pick Caleb Lomu. (staff photo by Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)
There were considered to be seven offensive tackles with first-round grades in this year’s draft, and six came off the board before Lomu. The Chiefs, who picked 29th overall, hosted Lomu on a pre-draft visit.
Lomu has texted with quarterback Drake Maye and his fellow Patriots offensive linemen, and he’s been able to sit in on meetings via Zoom. Head coach Mike Vrabel has made a strong first impression on him, as well.
“With Coach Vrabel, it’s been amazing,” Lomu said. “The energy that that guy brings to this team, you can kind of just feel it. I haven’t been here yet, but I can already feel it, and can see it just out on the field: energy that he brings, that’s what you want in a head coach, and it’s what you want for a team. And that’s why, I believe, they went so far last year. So everything’s been awesome with him.”
The next tackle didn’t go off the board until 68th overall early in the third round, so the Patriots were strategic in landing a premium player at their biggest need.
Lomu, 21, is an impressive athlete. He ran a 4.99-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-6, 313 pounds in February at the NFL Scouting Combine. He posted a 1.74-second 10-yard split, 32.5-inch vertical leap, 9-feet, 5-inch broad jump and 25 bench press reps of 225 pounds. Lomu doesn’t have elite arm length (33 3/8 inches), but his 82 3/4-inch wingspan ranks in the 62nd percentile among offensive tackles.