Patriots legend says quiet part out loud on Caleb Lomu, Will Campbell

Former New England Patriots center David Andrews believes rookie offensive tackle Caleb Lomu can push second-year lineman Will Campbell.

Lomu, a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, is projected to be a swing tackle in New England. He played left tackle in college, but he is capable of swinging over to right tackle and serving as a primary backup for 35-year-old veteran Morgan Moses.

With that said, there is no guarantee that Lomu would warm the bench, either. If he outplays Campbell in training camp, the team might have to consider other options. Andrews is hopeful that competition ultimately brings out the best in Campbell.

“This is a guy that's going to come in, he can work both positions, hopefully, push, drive Will," Andrews said, during an appearance on Zolak & Bertrand. "Look, competition is the greatest thing ever. We drafted Ted Karras my second year. I felt like every training camp going into it, if I didn’t have a good training camp, they’d just give the job to Ted, and I'd have to be out of a job."

Along with Lomu, Dametrious Crownover, the Patriots' rookie sixth-round pick out of Texas A&M, could also make a case for himself if he plays well.

Creating healthy competition is always a good thing. The Patriots are continuing to build their offensive line, and nothing is set in stone regarding positioning. They will enter training camp with an empty slate and the best performers getting an opportunity to lead off in regular season games.