Patriots' Wolf 'open for business' in NFL draft
The New England Patriots are willing to listen to trade offers ahead of next week's NFL draft, including those regarding their third overall selection.
"We're open to anything — moving up, moving down," Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf said Thursday. "We're open for business in the first round and in every round.
"We have some holes we feel like we need to fill in the draft. And we're a draft-and-develop team. The more picks we have the better. But if there's an opportunity to move up and strike, if the board recommends it, then we won't be afraid to pull the trigger on that, either."
Wolf also said that while the team has engaged in trade discussions centered on their first-round pick, the Patriots are yet to field an enticing offer.
The Patriots have several needs across the roster entering Jerod Mayo's head coaching debut next season, but the potential of adding a young quarterback has been widely speculated leading up to the opening round of the NFL draft on April 25.
New England traded Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round pick, while veteran Jacoby Brissett was signed during free agency for his second stint with the franchise. Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke round out the QB depth chart.
Quarterback talent headlines the 2024 draft class. Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and J.J. McCarthy are among the notable talents expected to have their names called early.
Wolf dismissed the notion that the club's roster, which has undergone changes since Bill Belichick's dismissal, wouldn't be beneficial for a rookie passer, pointing out how the team addressed the offensive line by re-signing Mike Onwenu and adding Chukwuma Okorafor.
"I definitely feel like we can support (a rookie QB)," Wolf said.
The depth at wide receiver remains an area of concern for the Patriots, though Wolf says the club has "good receivers we're excited about working with." New England re-signed Kendrick Bourne and brought in K.J. Osborn during free agency.