The Patriots VP of Personnel seems pretty happy with the moves made on night one of the NFL Draft.
Many expected the New England Patriots to stay at pick number 31 all night, but that changed just a few picks shy of their chance to be on the board.
The Buffalo Bills did a pick swap with the Houston Texans earlier in the night, then the Bills and the Patriots cut a deal. The Patriots received Buffalo's newly granted 28th overall pick, and the Bills picked up No. 31 overall and then pick No. 125 in the fourth round.
The deal allowed what the Patriots were looking for, an offensive tackle, to fall right into their lap, and with that position starting to dwindle, the move needed to happen fast.
Caleb Lomu, offensive tackle out of Utah, is now a New England Patriot, and the team's VP of Player Personnel took to the podium to talk to reporters briefly about the process of making the moves needed to acquire him.
"We traded up three spots and gave up a fourth-round pick to acquire him," Wolf told reporters with a smile on his face. "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."
Wold teased what the Patriots looked to go after in an interview with ESPN's Mike Reiss earlier today. It was clear the offensive line was a must in the first round, with this year's crop of linemen being very impressive names.
Patriots fans had to be panicking a bit. Once favorite Max Iheanacho got picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers, there seemed to be some doubt in the air about who was left for the team to make a move on.
Iheanachor has become a favorite for the Patriots to pick as of late, thanks to the viral video of the Arizona State tackle doing blocking drills with head coach Mike Vrabel at the school's pro day.
Lomu, however, comes in with an impressive prowess that struck a chord with the team's front office. At the combine, Lomu measured at 6'6¼¼", 313 lbs., with 33⅜⅜" arms; ran a 4.99 second 40-yard dash with a 1.74 second 10-yard split; and jumped 32.5" in the vertical jump and 9'5" in the broad jump.
With a tackle acquired and some hope in the future for the Patriots' offensive front to protect Drake Maye better in 2026, the team now looks to the second and third rounds. It's an area of the draft where edge rushers, tight ends, and linebackers could be key, and Wolf very much so knows this.
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