The biggest surprise in the Patriots’ 26-19 win over the Jets isn’t the final score. It is the performance of a rookie who wasn’t supposed to play this much. Caleb Lomu, the 28th overall pick, now holds the top pass-blocking grade among all rookie tackles in the NFL. This comes after injuries to starters Will Campbell and Morgan Moses forced the 21-year-old into the spotlight during Sunday’s game.
Lomu was drafted to sit on the bench behind veteran Morgan Moses and Will Campbell. The team traded up four spots to get the 6-foot-6, 313-pound tackle from Utah. He was expected to be a backup depth piece for heavy sets. Instead, he became the most effective pass protector on the offensive line. Per Sports Illustrated, Lomu earned an 80.2 pass-blocking grade through six weeks. That number leads the entire rookie class. His pass-blocking efficiency sits at a 98.0, which is also the highest mark for any rookie tackle.
The Injury Opportunity
Campbell suffered a knee injury and Moses dealt with a foot issue in the past two games. These setbacks gave Lomu extended playing time on the right side. He played out of position since he lined up at left tackle in college. Despite the switch, he dominated his new role. Head coach Mike Vrabel addressed the situation after Sunday’s game. “I hate when guys get injured, but I also understand that on the other side of that, there’s an opportunity,” Vrabel said. He added, “You never know what’s going to happen in this league, and we talk about it all the time, preparing for the journey.”
Lomu knew this day could come before the season even started. Marcus Bryant was slated to be the sixth offensive lineman, but Bryant has been sidelined for most of the year. This opened the door for Lomu to take more snaps. Lomu explained his mindset on filling in for injured starters. “It does happen, unfortunately, in this league. Everyone’s got to prepare like a starter for those types of things that happen,” Lomu said. The team traded up to get him for a reason, and now that reason is showing up in the stats.
Winning With a Patchwork Line
The offensive line looked ragged, yet the team secured the victory. Pats Pulpit noted the strange lineup that defeated the Jets. Despite starting a rookie at right tackle, a third-string guard on one side, and a fourth-string guard on the other, the Patriots ran the ball effectively. The free-agent fullback was even on injured reserve. Steve Balestrieri issued a Week 6 report card with a simple message: “Never apologize for a win.” The receivers got demerits for their struggles, but the line held up enough to get the job done.
DeMario Douglas stepped up at receiver while Romeo Doubs sits on injured reserve. Despite committing a fumble against the Jets, Douglas caught three touchdowns over the last two games. He acknowledged the team needs to fix its errors. “I feel like we’ve just got to learn. We can learn from our mistakes,” he said postgame.
Lomu’s rise proves the depth chart is deeper than it looked on paper. He is now the right tackle of New England’s future, according to the data. The Patriots face the Chicago Bears on Thursday night. Lomu must maintain these grades while protecting Drake Maye.