Eliot Wolf worked with the Green Bay Packers for thirteen years, assuming positions such as director of football operations and pro personnel assistant.
His history with the Packers extends even farther backwards, as he watched his father, Ron, build strong rosters for the team throughout his childhood.
Unlike his father, Eliot never advanced to become General Manager and departed the Packers in 2018. He did, however, have a few noteworthy moments in Green Bay along the road.
The Patriots and Eliot Wolf enter the picture when it comes to how quarterbacks will dominate the 2024 NFL Draft. The squad from New England needs a quarterback of the future. Ever since Tom Brady’s retirement, the Patriots have made vain attempts to replace him.
Ever since Brady departed town, the Patriots have struggled with players like Jarrett Stidham, Cam Newton, Mac Jones, and Bailey Zappe. The first step in Wolf’s plan to turn the team around is to identify a franchise quarterback. First, he has to choose what to do with the 2024 NFL Draft’s third overall choice.
Executive from the Green Bay Packers Could Influence the NFL Draft: An Ancestral Past
When Ron Wolf acquired Brett Favre in a trade in 1992, he essentially changed the course of the Green Bay Packers club. Wolf recognized something exceptional in Favre, who was only the Atlanta Falcons’ backup quarterback at the time.
Sending Atlanta a second-round selection paid off when Favre won three MVP awards and lifted the Lombardi Trophy a few years later. Furthermore, Wolf’s choice undermined the significance of acquiring quarterbacks. Though it may seem straightforward, Green Bay has outperformed almost every other NFL club in this regard.
That methodology has helped the Packers shape players like Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love over the past thirty years. Green Bay is a club that might select a quarterback in the 2024 draft even with Love firmly established as the starter.
Trade Out
Although Wolf’s background implies that he would go for a top quarterback in the NFL Draft, there is no assurance of it. The players on New England’s roster have aged with time and lack star power at a number of positions.
The Patriots have issues at every position, including linebacker, cornerback, and receiver. In New England, the offensive line is no longer as strong as it once was. Although it would be alluring for Wolf to take a chance on one of the top three quarterbacks available in the draft, doing so may have unintended consequences.
A blue-chip quarterback is only one piece of the jigsaw, as teams like the Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, and New York Jets have demonstrated.
In the previous ten years, all three clubs have been able to select quarterbacks ranked among the top five, but none of them have made it past the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
With one poor season, New England has a rare opportunity to turn it into a wealth of draft selections. Additionally, rumors have said that Wolf intends to accumulate draft selections. Rumored contenders to move up in the draft include the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings.
With the third overall pick, the Patriots have essentially command of the selection process. Wolf will have to decide if the team needs its quarterback right away or whether it would be preferable to accept a trade transaction that should contain several first-round selections in the future.
Patch it Together
The Patriots would be better suited acquiring a quarterback when free agency starts, considering the names available. It could be appropriate to add Jacoby Brisett, who is connected to Alex Van Pelt. Thus, a player such as Gardner Minshew could.
Although it seems doubtful that the Patriots would be able to convince Kirk Cousins to accept a contract, they could be able to acquire a quarterback like Ryan Tannehill. In the draft, the Patriots would have more options if they selected one of those seasoned quarterbacks. Between them, they would all be an improvement above Jones and Zappe.
However, the Patriots will almost certainly select one or more young quarterbacks in the draft. Bo Nix and Spencer Rattler are two names that the Patriots could find appealing. Rattler has a higher ceiling than Nix, but Nix has a higher floor.
Although they represent contrasting strategies for New England, both guys are names to keep an eye on come draft season. Wolf will undoubtedly be one executive who has the power to influence the NFL Draft, regardless of the Patriots’ choice of direction.