Patriots rookies will be in Foxborough at the end of the week, and we’ll get our first chance to lay eyes on them Saturday as part of the rookie mini-camp. To kick the festivities off, Caleb Lomu is expected to join ownership for the traditional on-field photo op sometime Thursday. Considering the absolute trainwreck Boston pro sports were this past weekend, I suspect there’ll be a healthy media contingent fawning over the proceedings.
Meanwhile, as promised, here’s a detailed look at the draft class and a UDFA or two with intel gathered from talking to league sources. It took a little longer to put together than I wished, but I think everyone - myself included - was a little tapped out and needed to immediately flip the page to what’s coming.
FIRST ROUND (28TH OVERALL), CALEB LOMU, T, UTAH: “I think he’s the cleanest pass protector in the tackle class. Damn good feet, balance, rarely gets out over his skis,” said a line coach I spoke with.
“I don’t know what their plans are, but if you told me Lomu eventually unseats (Will) Campbell, I wouldn’t bat an eye,” a scout texted. “Campbell’s nastiness could serve him well inside or even on the other side at right tackle.”
“He (Lomu) allowed zero sacks last year,” added another scout. “I don’t care where you play, that’s hard to do. And he played good competition, which just adds to his profile.
“Does he need to develop more as a run blocker? Absolutely. Little too much leaning on the defender and not enough displacement. They’ve gotta work on his hands. He’s gotta keep firing them when he gets to the second level.”
“Everyone knows he needs to get stronger. That’s not just specific to him. That’s almost all these guys,” pointed out an exec. “But he’s an impressive kid. Someone that size with those movement skills…they don’t grow on trees. In this draft, getting that level of talent at that stage in the round shows good process by (Eliot) Wolf.”
SECOND ROUND (55TH OVERALL), GABE JACAS, EDGE, ILLINOIS: “Give me 10 more of