New England Patriots' Eliot Wolf: 'Final Decision' on Potential Draft Trade?

Whether or not the New England Patriots decide to trade the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft, the "final decision" will be made by de facto general manager Eliot Wolf.

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New England Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf during the / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

What will the New England Patriots do in the upcoming NFL Draft? Will they stay put with the No. 3 pick and take their next franchise quarterback, or will they potentially pass on a signal-caller and trade down?

Whatever happens will be decided by new de facto general manager Eliot Wolf, who, according to Jerod Mayo, will have the “final” say on draft night.

“Eliot (Wolf), has the final decision, but at the same time, there’s a lot that goes into that final decision,” Mayo said. “It’s kind of like a call sheet. You get to a game with a call sheet, it’s really already done. There’s no bad play on a call sheet. The one benefit of being at three is that if we like the top five quarterbacks, we’ll have our pick at No. 3. It doesn’t really matter — that’s kind of how we’re looking at it.”

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New England Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf during the / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Recently, there has been much discussion about the Patriots potentially passing on a quarterback and instead opting to trade down. Undoubtedly, quarterback is a significant need for the Patriots this offseason, a need that many, including team owner Robert Kraft, are eager to address. However, it's important to note that quarterback isn’t the lone need remaining. 

In fact, an argument can be made that the Patriots would be better suited to start focusing on other areas of need first. With Trent Brown's free-agent departure, left tackle still stands out as a glaring need. At the same time, the inability to sign Tennessee Titans receiver Calvin Ridley leaves receiver as a position that has largely been unaddressed. 

Considering the Patriots’ last attempt at taking a first-round quarterback, Mac Jones didn’t work out in part because they could not build a roster around him; it’d make sense if they wanted to wait before they found a long-term successor.

Thanks to the free agent signing of Jacoby Brissett, the Patriots have a potential bridge option if they choose to use it. Allowing Brissett to be the starter for the coming season could see them receive a haul of picks in exchange for the No. 3 selection, potentially allowing them to add several players in this draft instead of just one.

Following their recent trade with the Houston Texans, in which they received the No. 23 pick in addition to No. 11, the Minnesota Vikings potentially have the most enticing trade package to offer New England currently. Minnesota could send both first-round picks this year and more in exchange for New England’s pick.

It is an intriguing offer that would allow New England to add two first-round picks immediately to their roster for the upcoming season, potentially at positions of need.