Who is New England Patriots Executive Eliot Wolf?

Eliot Wolf has been an executive for the New England Patriots since 2020. He was listed as a consultant for two seasons before being named director of scouting in 2022. With Bill Belichick having departed the front office, in addition to the sideline, it is expected Wolf’s role with the team will expand this coming season.

New England has not named a general manager to date. Almost immediately there were reports that the Patriots were in no rush to do so and might wait until after the NFL Draft if at all. In the interim, Eliot Wolf and Matt Groh (director of player personnel) are expected to share those responsibilities.

Although Wolf’s title made him director of scouting for the Patriots the past two seasons, it is Groh who is attending this week’s Senior Bowl down in Alabama. Meanwhile, Wolf seems to functioning more as the team’s de facto general manager.

New England named Alex Van Pelt offensive coordinator this past week. Van Pelt and Wolf worked together in the Green Bay Packers organization for six seasons. Although Jerod Mayo had previously stated that he would be choosing his staff, it is hard to imagine that Eliot Wolf did not play a significant role in that hire. (note: Mayo did say both Wolf and Groh were assisting the search).

Eliot Wolf has been working in the NFL his entire professional career. His father Ron Wolf was a longtime NFL executive himself. Ron Wolf was general manager of the Green Bay Packers when his son began working in their front office back in 2004. Eliot Wolf would later be the presenter at his father’s Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Despite working in the National Football League for two decades, Eliot Wolf is still just 41 years old. He spent 14 years with the Packers. Wolf then served for two seasons as assistant general manager with the Cleveland Browns before coming to New England. He has been under consideration for several general manager openings in the past.

So if Eliot Wolf is now running the New England Patriots front office, what should fans expect? Wolf was the assistant GM in Cleveland when the Browns selected Baker Mayfield with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Mayfield is a free agent in 2024. He just led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the NFC South title and the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs. Will Wolf want to reunite with Mayfield in Foxboro?

Eliot Wolf has never had the final say in any of his prior stops. So, it is hard for the outside world to know what he would have done with the final decision. Would he have still drafted Baker Mayfield in 2018? Did he want to select Mac Jones in 2021? What does he want to do with the third overall pick in 2024? That final question is one there may be an answer to soon.