Eliot Wolf admits Patriots were surprised Caleb Lomu was still available before trade-up

"Really excited about this player. He's young, he's experienced, he's athletic, he's a great kid, and frankly, I was a little surprised that he was still available. And that's why we decided to move up a little bit. And we're excited to have him."

"We interviewed him at the Combine. That was great. We actually canceled his 30-visit because we didn't - we had one scheduled and we just didn't think he was going to factor in for us."

"The Patriots felt as though there was a drop-off in tackle talent after Lomu in this draft class."

The New England Patriots traded their first-round pick and another to the Buffalo Bills to move up to the 28th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They selected tackle Caleb Lomu from the University of Utah to enhance their offensive line. Patriots executive Eliot Wolf expressed excitement about Lomu's potential, citing his youth, experience, and athleticism. The decision to trade up was influenced by concerns over current players and a perceived drop-off in tackle talent after Lomu in the draft class.

Read at Boston.com