Patriots' Eliot Wolf Discusses NFL Draft Trade Talks, Says He's 'Open for Business'

The New England Patriots do not appear locked into keeping the No. 3 pick in next week's NFL draft.

Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf told reporters Thursday that the team is "open for business" regarding trades—even if that means moving down and not selecting a franchise quarterback.

"We're open to anything — moving up, moving down. We're open for business in the first round and in every round," Wolf said. "We have some holes we feel like we need to fill in the draft. We're a draft-and-develop team. The more picks we have the better."

Wolf is in his first season as the Patriots' de facto general manager. He joined the organization in 2020 as a consultant before being promoted in 2022 to director of scouting.

The Patriots have been widely expected to take a quarterback with the No. 3 pick. LSU's Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's Drake Maye have been the two quarterbacks most often linked to New England. While Wolf believes the Patriots have the infrastructure to support a rookie quarterback if they go in that direction, he also said the team does not have to take a quarterback in Round 1.

The Patriots traded former starter Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason. Veteran Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke are the three quarterbacks currently on the depth chart. Brissett is a quintessential bridge quarterback, while Zappe struggled the last two seasons when he replaced Jones in the lineup. Rourke is a practice squad quarterback who has never made an NFL appearance.

Logic would dictate the Patriots staying at No. 3 and selecting Maye or Daniels—especially with a weak quarterback class coming in 2025. That said, this roster has significant holes on both sides of the board, so moving back and fortifying the roster elsewhere isn't a bad option, either.