For much of the offseason, the New England Patriots' offensive tackle situation looked like a puzzle with too few pieces. After a quiet free agency period that saw the team address interior line depth but leave the tackle spots largely untouched, the question wasn't who would start--it was whether they had enough bodies to survive a single preseason series.
But two days ago, on April 25, 2026, the picture changed in a hurry.
With the selections of Caleb Lomu and Dametrious Crownover in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Patriots have injected not just depth, but legitimate competition into a room that desperately needed it. Suddenly, a position group that felt thin and uncertain looks crowded--and for the first time in a while, that's a good problem to have.
Let's reset the depth chart and sort out what this means for the roster heading into training camp.
The Pre-Draft State of Affairs
Before we dive into the new arrivals, it's worth remembering where things stood.
The Patriots entered the draft with a clear starting left tackle in veteran Mike Onwenu, who has experience at both guard and tackle positions. On the right side, the team had been hoping Sidy Sow would take a leap after a promising but inconsistent 2025 campaign. After him? The depth chart was a collection of question marks.
Vederian Lowe offered swing tackle experience but has struggled with consistency in pass protection. Kellen Diesch was a practice squad developmental piece. Andrew Stueber had yet to make a meaningful impact. Conor McDermott was a free agent and was not re-signed as of late April 2026.
In other words, the tackle room was one injury away from a potential disaster. The Patriots' front office, led by head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Eliot Wolf, clearly recognized that and made it a priority in the middle rounds of the draft.
Enter Caleb Lomu
The Patriots selected Caleb Lomu, an offensive tackle from the University of Utah, with the 28th overall pick late in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 25, 2026. This pick immediately generated buzz. Lomu is a long, powerful tackle listed at 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, with 34-inch arms--an ideal frame for the position.
He started multiple seasons in college and brings a finish-every-block mentality that fits the Patriots' preferred physical identity.
Lomu projects primarily as a right tackle in the NFL, though he has some experience on the left side. His strength is in the run game; he drives defenders off the ball and shows good awareness on combo blocks. In pass protection, his length allows him to recover when beaten initially. The knock on him coming out of college is that he can sometimes become overaggressive, leading to balance issues against savvy edge rushers who use counters.
For a late first-round pick, this is a player with significant upside. At worst, he becomes a foundational swing tackle able to step into the lineup if needed. At best, he challenges Sidy Sow for the starting right tackle job come Week 1.
Dametrious Crownover: The Late-Round Sleeper
Shortly after, the Patriots picked Dametrious Crownover from Texas A&M with the 196th overall pick in the sixth round. Crownover is a 6-foot-7, 310-pound tackle with surprising agility for his size. He played primarily right tackle but also logged snaps at left tackle and in jumbo tight end packages.
Crownover's strengths lie in his effort and football IQ. He's a technician's project: his hand placement needs work, and he will need to add strength to anchor against powerful rushers. Still, his coachability and athletic traits make him an enticing developmental prospect for the Patriots.
His path to the 53-man roster is less clear than Lomu's, but the team has historically valued versatile, developmental offensive linemen, and Crownover fits that mold. If he impresses during training camp, he could provide valuable swing tackle depth or earn a spot on the practice squad with an eye toward contributing in coming seasons.
The New Depth Chart
With the two draft picks added, here's how the tackle group stacks up heading into organized team activities and training camp:
Left Tackle:
- Mike Onwenu (starter)
- Vederian Lowe (swing)
- Kellen Diesch (depth)
Right Tackle:
- Sidy Sow (projected starter)
- Caleb Lomu (rookie challenger)
- Dametrious Crownover (developmental)
- Andrew Stueber (roster bubble)
This is a completely different look than what the Patriots had heading into the offseason. The team now has two viable options at right tackle between Sow and Lomu, plus a promising young developmental player in Crownover who could push for a roster spot if he shows well in camp.
What This Means for the Roster Bubble
The most immediate consequence of these additions is that the margin for error just got much thinner for some veterans.
Vederian Lowe is likely to remain as a swing tackle, given the Patriots' need for experience and depth at the position. However, his spot is no longer guaranteed, especially if Crownover performs well and provides similar versatility at a lower financial cost.
Andrew Stueber faces an uphill battle. A developmental player for two seasons without cracking the active roster consistently, Stueber could be at risk of being cut if Lomu and Crownover show enough promise.
Kellen Diesch is also on thin ice but may have an inside track if the team decides to keep four tackles on the active roster.
One possible avenue the Patriots might explore is shifting some tackles inside to guard. Onwenu has previously played guard, and Lowe has guard experience as well. The flexibility of moving players between tackle and guard could help the coaching staff maximize talent and roster spots.
Draft Philosophy: Competence Over Star Power
It's notable that the Patriots approached the tackle position by adding volume in the middle and later rounds, rather than trading up for a blue-chip prospect or investing early.
This fits a broader philosophy that head coach Mike Vrabel and GM Eliot Wolf have embraced -- building the offensive line with players who fit the scheme, have competitive fire, and are cost-controlled. The goal is not always to find a star in the first round but to stock the room with players who can develop into competent starters and help maintain depth.
If Lomu can develop into a capable starter and Crownover becomes a reliable swing tackle, this draft class will be viewed as a success for the Patriots. More importantly, the increased competition raises the floor for the entire offensive line unit.
The Bigger Picture
Ultimately, the Patriots' tackle group is still largely unproven beyond Mike Onwenu. Sow, Lomu, and Crownover have no NFL starts yet, but now there is hope that the team will find a competent answer at right tackle through strong competition and development.
This matters in the AFC East, where divisional rivals like the Buffalo Bills have a ferocious pass rush and the New York Jets have invested heavily in their defensive fronts. To keep pace, the Patriots must field a functional tackle rotation.
While the group may not feature household names, the competition, depth, and development plan establish a solid foundation.
That's a significant improvement over where things stood just weeks ago.
The Patriots' tackle room is suddenly crowded-- and for New England, that's the kind of problem they've been looking for.