Utah's stud offensive lineman could be a first round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft

The Utah football program has never had two players selected in the first round of the same NFL Draft.

According to the latest 2026 mock drafts, that could change come next April.

Two Utes offensive tackles, Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, are being projected as first-round picks in next year's draft by several analysts.

Utah Utes on SI is examining the Utes' top five draft-eligible prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. After taking a look at Fano's draft profile, let's examine Utah's other stud offensive lineman ahead of his redshirt sophomore season.

Offensive tackle Caleb Lomu, redshirt sophomore

Fano's rightfully been receiving a lot of draft buzz heading into his junior year, but the Utes have another potential first-rounder at left tackle in Lomu, who's entering his redshirt sophomore season following a stellar debut in 2024.

A former four-star recruit from Gilbert, Arizona, Lomu was one of Utah's most coveted prospects in its 2023 recruiting class after committing to the Utes over the likes of Michigan, Florida, Oregon, Ole Miss, USC, Tennessee and Washington.

Lomu had to wait for his opportunity, though, allowing him in turn to build up his strength and see the game through a different perspective as a redshirt player.

After sliding into the tackle spot opposite Fano ahead of the 2024 season, the 6-foot-6, 304-pound Lomu hasn't relinquished his starting role. That's because as a redshirt freshman, Lomu only allowed two sacks and six quarterback hits out of 425 total snaps in pass protection.

Lomu stands out with his elite athleticism, placing him above the 96th percentile in PFF’s game athleticism score metric. He earned a respectable 76.0 pass-blocking grade from PFF in his first year as a starter as well, setting a solid foundation for a potentially even more impressive 2025 campaign.

With another year to add size to his frame and experience under his belt, Lomu could see his name climb up draft analysts' big boards in the lead up to the 2026 NFL Draft. He's already projected as a first-round talent by numerous scouting personnel, including those from ESPN and CBS Sports.

“Lomu looks the part of a big-time NFL left tackle," CBS Sports' Josh Edwards wrote in his evaluation of the Utes tackle, projected to go 23rd overall in Edwards' mock draft. "The 2026 NFL draft would be his first year of eligibility, so there is physical maturation that is still taking place. There are glimpses of some advanced technical work and Lomu could be a part of a strong offensive tackle class."

ESPN's Jordan Reid compared Lomu's play style, build and progression to that of Indianapolis Colts left tackle Bernhard Raimann, who was a third-round pick out of Central Michigan in the 2022 draft.

"Lomu’s game centers on his power profile and wide body, which he uses to generate movement at the point of attack," Reid wrote in his evaluation of Lomu, slated to go No. 12 overall in ESPN's mock."He could still add weight to his frame (6-6, 304 pounds) and is expected to make a major leap in his second college season."

While it's still too soon to tell whether Lomu will be ready for the NFL after his sophomore year, there's no denying the talent along Utah's offensive line heading into the 2025 season.

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