The Patriots drafted another left tackle in the first round, so what does that mean for Will Campbell?

Trade out of first round, acquire Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, address their many needs on offense and defense — there were a lot of rumors on what the defending AFC champions would do in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. The New England Patriots playoff run, along with their Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks, further exposed some glaring gaps, from offensive line to edge rusher.

The Patriots had the No. 31 overall pick and many were betting on the Brown trade finally taking place, although that blockbuster will likely happen by June 1. That thought was only perpetuated when the Eagles used their first-round selection to take a wide receiver, getting USC's Makai Lemon at No. 20, but "AJ Watch" lives another day. 

The Patriots traded up within their division, dealing the No. 31 pick and a fourth-rounder to the Buffalo Bills for pick No. 28 and using the move to get an offensive lineman. Having Déjà vu? It may be because the Patriots also used last year's first-round pick to get an offensive lineman, taking left tackle Will Campbell at No. 4. This time it was left tackle Caleb Lomu out of Utah who can call himself a Patriots first-rounder.

New England's future clearly rides on the arm of quarterback Drake Maye and building around him is a necessary move for long-term success. The pick makes sense, given their offensive line woes and the importance on keeping Maye's uniform clean, but it does bring up some obvious questions about Campbell's role.

Campbell was an early fan favorite from last year's draft night when he declared he would "fit and die to protect" No. 10, but the feeling changed after his return from an MCL sprain. His play declined upon his return and his postseason run included 14 pressures allowed and one of the six sacks Maye took in the Super Bowl LX.

Shortly after the championship loss, Campbell revealed that he played with a torn ligament in his knee during the season and wasn't 100% during the playoffs, which no doubt contributed to the poor play. Head coach Mike Vrabel and Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf have both addressed Campbell's future this offseason, maintaining that he will be their left tackle for the foreseeable future.

Lomu provides some of the much-needed pass protection and getting a player of his caliber at No. 28 earned an A+ from CBS Sports. The 21-year-old started 24 of 27 games in his two seasons with Utah and has real potential to be a starting tackle, even if it's not immediately.

The 6-6', 313-pounder not only provides insurance for Campbell, whether that be for injury or poor play, it's a likely eventual replacement for 35-year-old Morgan Moses. Lomu mostly played left tackle in college and could take this season to learn right tackle under the veteran to eventually play alongside Campbell.

Wolf emphasized that the team is "really, really happy" that they were able to acquire Lomu, surprised that he was available so late in the first round.

"So, it's pretty exciting to be able to acquire him. But athletically, like some of the things at the pro day, the feet, the ability to play right tackle, and then obviously some of the zooms that we did with him where he showed the intelligence that we felt like he had some versatility and would be able to play more than one spot," Wolf said. "... obviously he has to come in and earn a role somewhere, but he has the athletic ability and talent and strength and upside to kind of play anywhere on the line."

Lomu showed the same excitement for his new squad, pointing out their quarterback, coach and competitive nature as pros of joining the Pats. 

"Drake Maye is such a talented quarterback. I'm so excited to be able to work with him every day. I'm going to do everything that I can to protect him," Lomu said after being called to the stage. "[The Patriots are] a competitive team that's willing to work and take that extra step and get that far into the season. I'm excited to get there and get to work and get the whole thing rolling."

He added that he "cant wait to be able to play" for Vrabel.