Having depth on the offensive line is critical, just ask the 2025 Las Vegas Raiders. Although a myriad of issues contributed to the Silver and Black's ineptitude on the offensive line last season, it was evident when a few pieces fell that Las Vegas didn't have talent throughout the group.
John Spytek has already gotten to work bolstering that unit with the additions of Tyler Linderbaum and Spencer Burford. But he hasn't added competition at the tackle spots, at least not yet. If he does, he'll likely do so in the draft, perhaps as early as pick No. 36 at the beginning of Round 2.
Utah's Caleb Lomu could certainly be an option in that range, as Spytek recently attended the Utes' Pro Day to presumably get a closer look at him and his teammates.
Utah OT Caleb Lomu 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Notes:
Height:Â 6-foot-6
Weight: 313 pounds
Arm Length:Â 33 and 3/8-inches
Recruiting:Â Four-star recruit in class of 2023. Chose Utah over Michigan, Auburn, Oregon, USC, and Tennessee.
College Production:Â 1,620 total snaps played in 27 games. Only two sacks allowed in college career, zero of which came in 2025. Only five penalties in two years as starter. First-Team All Big-12 in 2025. Fourth-team All-American in 2025. Academic All Big-12 and CSC Academic All-District in 2024.
Positives:
- Great frame with wide shoulders that he can grow into. Showed improvement in college and should continue to develop at NFL level.
- Very strong in pass protection. Great posture, never lunges. Always balanced and uses quick feet and great punch timing to stay in front of pass-rushers. Firm grip that doesn't let defenders loose.
- Athletic out of his stance. Good as leader on pulling blocks and cutting off defenders.
- Good core strength and a firm grip make him hard to bull over, even if he has a slender frame.
- High IQ player who has great blitz recognition and never looks rattled by pressure.
- High production and athleticism score at combine. Speed and athleticism, with teaching, should be translatable skills to outside zone blocking scheme.
Lomu has a lot of great traits, and even though he is clearly still in the development stage, it doesn't take a fortune teller to see that he has great upside. He is a big, strong and smart player who could be a Day 1 starter in the NFL, if a team doesn't mind a few bumps and bruises as he learns on the job.
Negatives:Â
- Needs to add some weight to his frame. Not incredibly light, but could stand to add mass to his upper body, which will help him sustain and finish blocks better.
- Run blocking needs work. Struggles at times to hit his lateral landmarks. Had a lower PFF grade (62.0) when Utah ran more gap schemes, as opposed to a higher mark (70.1) with gap/zone split.
- Tested well athletically, but his athletic recovery is fairly average. Doesn't get beat often, but his footwork can break down at times against speed rushes, as he occasionally struggles with counters and inside moves.
- Hand placement/fighting and footwork are good enough in a vacuum, but they don't always work together well.
Lomu, of course, is not without his deficiencies. Luckily, most of these shortcomings are coachable, and time in an NFL weight room should help him bulk up. Consistency in one kind of rushing scheme will be critical for his learning curve as well.
Caleb Lomu NFL Player Comparison: Abraham Lucas
Frame-wise, these two are mere clones. Both were 6-foot-6 at the combine and weighed within two pounds of each other, while Lucas' arms were just 1/2 inch longer. Lucas' hands were bigger, but Lomu's production score was a bit better. Lucas is a tiny bit quicker, Lomu is slightly more agile.
In terms of play style, these two are similar as well. They are both great in pass pro and rarely, if ever, get out of posture, and their punch timing and strength is a great asset. Both players have strong cores, but aren't the cleanest movers in the run game and struggle with speed rushers.
Lucas turned out just fine in the NFL, however, and Lomu should, too.
Caleb Lomu NFL Draft Grade: Round 2
There is a lot to like about Lomu's game, and one can make an educated guess that he'll continue growing when he starts learning under NFL offensive line coaches. It is very possible that he comes off the board on Day 1, but it depends on whether or not a team wants to be patient with a starter.
Ideally, Lomu lands early in Round 2 with a team that doesn't mind throwing him to the wolves and letting experience be his teacher. But in terms of upside, frame, and a good set of skills already, he shouldn't land anywhere outside of the Top 40. But I think he should be closer to 40.