Locals in the NFL: Patriots could turn to rookie Caleb Lomu at left tackle against Jets
Oct 13, 2026, 4:00 PM
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 11: Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Las Vegas Raiders talks with Caleb Lomu #74 of the New England Patriots after the Patriots defeated the Raiders at Gillette Stadium on October 11, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Edward Monigan IV/Getty Images)
(Photo by Edward Monigan IV/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH – Caleb Lomu is expected to make his first NFL start for the New England Patriots in Week 6, and the rookie left tackle will face a difficult assignment.
Lomu, the No. 28 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, stepped in during Sunday’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders after starting left tackle Will Campbell left with an apparent knee injury.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel didn’t have a firm update on Campbell after the game, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Campbell is believed to have suffered a knee sprain and is expected to miss time pending MRI results.
That likely puts Lomu in line to protect Drake Maye’s blind side against the New York Jets, a division rival with one of the league’s most productive pass rushes. For the Patriots, Week 6 could be an early test of their offensive line depth—and whether Lomu is ready to handle a full-time role sooner than planned.
#Patriots OT Will Campbell, whose day was cut short today with injury, is believed to have suffered a knee sprain, sources say, and he’ll have an MRI tomorrow to confirm. This will likely cause him to miss some time. https://t.co/NL816r5JH3
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 12, 2026
The early returns were encouraging.
Lomu played the most extensive regular-season snaps of his young career against Las Vegas and held up well in pass protection. According to PFF, he allowed no sacks or quarterback hits while giving up one hurry.
Vrabel said Monday that Lomu did not look overwhelmed by the moment.
“I don’t think it was too big for him,” Vrabel said. “I think he was able to settle down. You didn’t really notice him a lot, so I think that’s probably a good thing. He was able to anchor at times on some power and allowed Drake to be able to transfer up into the pocket.”
All of Caleb Lomu’s snaps at Left Tackle yesterday in his Rookie Debut for the Patriots
Thought he was pretty solid in pass pro, lost a few reps to the outside, but overall pretty good showing https://t.co/E9GUBWslr2
— Matthew Lanzarotto (@MattLanzarotto) October 12, 2026
Before Sunday, Lomu had played sparingly, with most of his work coming on special teams. That could change quickly if Campbell is sidelined.
The timing is significant. The Jets enter the matchup with 16 sacks, the fourth most in the NFL. Lomu could also face a familiar opponent from his Big 12 days: edge rusher David Bailey, the No. 2 overall pick out of Texas Tech. Bailey has five sacks through his first five games.
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Caleb Lomu’s first-round selection paying dividends for New England
Lomu arrived in New England with a strong college résumé.
A native of Gilbert, Arizona, he attended Highland High School and was rated by 247Sports as a four-star recruit, the No. 2 prospect in Arizona, the No. 14 offensive lineman nationally, and the No. 164 overall player in the country.
After appearing in three games as a true freshman at Utah, Lomu took over as the Utes’ starting left tackle in 2024 and kept the job.
#Patriots rookie OT Caleb Lomu against the Raiders (via PFF):
🔹29 Pass Block Snaps
🔹0 Sacks
🔹0 QB Hits
🔹1 Hurry
🔹1 Total Pressure
🔹98.0 Pass Block EfficiencyYou love to see it.
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) October 11, 2026
He started every game in 2025, allowed no sacks and just six hurries, and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.
Now, the Patriots may need that college production to translate immediately.
Lomu’s first start would come with little runway and a difficult matchup, but Sunday’s performance gave New England reason to believe the rookie can hold his own. If Campbell misses time, the Patriots will find out quickly whether Lomu is ready to become more than a first-round investment for the future.
Packers place running back Chris Brooks on IR
Former BYU running back Chris Brooks was placed on short-term injured reserve on Saturday after suffering an ankle injury in a Week 4 win over Tampa Bay. Brooks carried four times for 30 yards before exiting the game in the second period.
He has 70 yards on 15 carries this season.
We have placed Chris Brooks on injured reserve
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 10, 2026
Brooks is under contract with Green Bay through 2027.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in the NFL, Locals in MLB, and the Utah State Aggies. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
Parts of this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team.
