FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots spent a bit of their vast NFL draft capital to move up in the first round and fill one of their biggest needs.
The Patriots selected offensive tackle Caleb Lomu with the 28th pick Thursday night, sliding up by dealing the 31st overall pick and one of their two fourth-round picks (No. 125 overall) to division-rival Buffalo.
“I kind of went blank, but it was a surreal feeling.” Lomu said of getting the call about his selection. He was shown by NFL Network cameras hugging family members assembled at a party in Mesa, Arizona.
New England needed depth at the position. Starting left tackle Will Campbell, who Lomu said texted him congratulations, is coming off an up-and-down rookie season that included a knee injury, and right tackle Morgan Moses will be entering his 13th NFL season at age 35.
The 6-foot-6, 313-pound Lomu didn't give up a sack in 12 games last season and was named first-team All-Big 12.
Lomu started 24 games at left tackle over the past two seasons for the Utes after playing two games as a freshman in 2023.
He said he's open to changing position if necessary.
“I just want to play. Whatever position is open. ... I’ll play whatever,” he said. "Coming in to play football and the game I love.”
Patriots vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said Lomu didn't make a visit to New England during the draft process but was interviewed by the team at the NFL Combine.
“Really excited about this pick. He’s young, he’s experienced, he’s athletic. He’s a good kid. Frankly, I’m surprised that he was still available," Wolf said.
The Patriots are looking to fortify a roster that has remained mostly intact at key positions after finishing 14-3 and losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl last season.
The Patriots made their lone pick of the first round in the backdrop of an off-field story involving coach Mike Vrabel. In comments prior to the draft, Vrabel said he is taking accountability for actions that have created a distraction for New England without addressing specifics about photos published recently of him with longtime NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort.
He vowed to prioritize his family by beginning counseling this weekend and stepping away from the team for draft’s final day Saturday.
Wolf expressed confidence that remaining members of front office will be able to mange Day 3 with Vrabel away. Wolf will have final say on Day 3 picks.
“Not too worried about that as far just as the process we have in place. The people that we have in place," Wolf said. "It’s going to be different without his presence there. But we feel really good about the people that we have in place to make up for it.”
Vrabel was in the team’s draft room Thursday night and will be there again for Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday along with other members of the front office and scouting staff.
The Patriots entered the draft holding 11 picks. That includes the Super Bowl runner-up’s lone first-round selection. They have one pick each in rounds 2 and 3 on Friday. But they are slated to make seven more picks over the final four rounds Saturday.
New England's top priority entering the night was at edge rusher. The Patriots added Dre’Mont Jones in free agency following a season in which he started with the Tennessee Titans before being traded to Baltimore Ravens. His career-high production of seven sacks that he matched last season is comparable to K’Lavon Chaisson, who signed with Washington.
The Patriots could also use some more talent at linebacker after parting ways Jahlani Tavai and Anfernee Jennings.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
FILE - Utah offensive lineman Caleb Lomu (33) runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2026--
Omdia has significantly raised its semiconductor revenue forecast for 2026 to 62.7%, again reflecting unprecedented growth in DRAM and NAND driven by sustained demand and ongoing supply shortages expected to persist through the year. The DRAM market is forecast to nearly double in value, while the smaller NAND segment could quadruple compared to 2025.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260423414383/en/
Supply constraints in conventional memory IC supply are being exacerbated by the industry’s focus upon High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) production, which delivers lower volumes but commands significantly higher prices. Strong enterprise and data center demand will continue to shape the 2026 market outlook, with meaningful supply relief unlikely until well into 2027.
Enterprises are implementing a major server refresh cycle in 2026, coinciding with exceptional levels of hyperscaler capital expenditure. Organizations are accelerating the retirement of legacy hardware to support more demanding workloads, creating a significant market opportunity given the scale of installed systems. At the same time, there is a clear shift toward higher-value system designs built on next-generation silicon and advanced connectivity. This trend combined with the ongoing components shortage will push average selling prices upward.
Computing and data storage will lead all segments in semiconductor revenue growth, rising 90% year-on-year in 2026 to exceed $700bn. This is due to strong demand for data center servers and other memory–intensive applications, alongside elevated memory IC pricing.
As previously reported, consumer electronics and wireless applications also present a positive outlook for semiconductor revenue growth in 2026. While smartphone unit shipments are expected to remain relatively flat, semiconductor revenues will increase due to higher memory pricing, significantly raising overall bill of materials (BOM) costs. The market will see multiple flagship launches in addition to the usual model updates. This will include a range of a new wave of foldables, and feature-rich models incorporating AI-enabled capabilities such as advanced photography. Meanwhile, smart watches and fitness and wellness wearables are also projected to deliver meaningful revenue growth.
Looking Ahead
“Supporting the progression of AI beyond simple Q&A use cases has exponentially increased demand for memory and processing ICs, fueling semiconductor industry revenues overall,” said Myson Robles-Bruce, Senior Principal Analyst at Omdia. ”However, questions remain around how quickly suppliers can scale capacity and output of supply, and longer term, which applications will generate sufficient return on investment to justify the current levels of capital expenditure in AI.”
Aside from the macroeconomic pressures, such as tariffs, energy costs, and geopolitical tensions, the industry also faces risks associated with the amount of capital being allocated to AI infrastructure. Current semiconductor revenue growth is being driven primarily by higher average selling prices rather than unit shipment volumes. While similar dynamics have been observed in past cycles such as crypto mining and previous memory super cycles, the scale and breadth across the industry are unprecedented.
Omdia will continue to monitor market developments over the coming quarters and refine its 2026 baseline forecast accordingly.
ABOUT OMDIA
Omdia, part of TechTarget, Inc. d/b/a Informa TechTarget (Nasdaq: TTGT), is a technology research and advisory group. Our deep knowledge of tech markets grounded in real conversations with industry leaders and hundreds of thousands of data points, make our market intelligence our clients’ strategic advantage. From R&D to ROI, we identify the greatest opportunities and move the industry forward.
Greatest market contributors to semiconductor revenue growth in 2026
