Eliot Wolf on QBs: I’d say there’s a lot of options on the table
Owners of the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft, the Patriots are in a position to bring in a new rookie quarterback.
But New England director of scouting Eliot Wolf wasn't trying to tip his hand in any direction as he spoke to the media at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday morning.
"I’d say there’s a lot of options on the table," Wolf said. "I’m glad you asked about Mac [Jones] and Bailey [Zappe] — we’re not going to be a program that’s talking about these guys in terms of through the media. We’re going to do what’s best for the team behind the scenes and the strategy of that is going to be myself, [head coach] Jerod Mayo, [director of player personnel] Matt Groh. And we’re going to do the right thing for the team."
Jones and Zappe are both under contract for 2024. But after the performances both had in the 2023 season, it stands to reason that New England will once again quarterback in the draft.
"I think it's a really good year for quarterbacks," Wolf said. "It’s a really good year for a lot of positions. Like any position, we’re going to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses to determine who fits for us. We’re pretty early in the process here — I haven’t met any of these guys. So, as we continue through the process here, we’ll determine what’s best for the team.
"And one thing about the quarterbacks in this draft specifically that I’m excited about is they all look like they’re really tough guys — which is obviously great at any position, but the quarterback position especially."
What is Wolf looking for in a quarterback?
"First of all, being someone that can elevate his teammates, someone that your teammates want to play for," Wolf said. "I think that's an extremely underrated thing that people don't talk about that much. Leadership is important. And, obviously, physical talent — we wouldn’t be talking about these guys if they weren’t physically talented."
The Patriots have plenty of time to determine what they want to do at the position, but it seems highly likely that New England's QBs room will look at least a little different by the end of April.
